Morals on the Book of Job (Moralia in Iob)

Whose life while blessed Job, filled with the Spirit from above, regarded with heedful intentness, foreseeing the future lowliness of His mild character, he refers as it were to a pattern set before him, so that whatever he did in this life he might bind fast to His footsteps in imitating, that so he who was incapable of seeing the high things of His secret ordering, as it were looking on the ground, might keep His footsteps for imitation. Of which same ' footsteps' of Him it is said by Peter, Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving i Pet. 2, us an example, that ye should follow His footsteps. Con- * cerning whom it is yet further added; 252 The righteous keep God's Way, and watch for His Will. Job 23, Yqx. 11. His way have I kept^ and not declined. CitT ^^' -^^^ ^^ ' keeps the way and does not decline,' who xxxiv. practises the thing whereon his mind is bent. Since to ' keep' in the bent is * not to decline' in the practice. For this is the anxiety of the righteous, that day by day they should try their actions by the ways of truth, and proposing these as a rule to themselves, they should not decline from the track of their right course. Thus day by day they strive to get above themselves, and in proportion as they are lifted up upon the summit of virtues, they judge with heedful censure, whatever there is of themselves left remaining below themselves.

And they are in haste to draw the whole of themselves there, where they find that they have been brought in part. It goes on ; Ver. 12. Neither have I gone back from the commandments of His lips. XXXV. 43. As servants that serve well are ever intent upon their masters' countenances, that the things they may bid they may hear readily, and strive to fulfil ; so the minds of the righteous in their bent are upon Almighty God, and in His Scripture they as it were fix their eyes on His face, that whereas God delivers therein all that He wills, they may not be at variance with His will, in proportion as they learn that will in His revelation. Whence it happens, that His words do not pass superfluously through their ears, but that these words they fix in their hearts. Hence it is here added ; / have hid the words of His mouth in my breast. xxxvi. ^^- ^'^^ w^ * hide the words of His mouth in the bosom of our heart,' when we hear His commandments not in a passing way, but to fulfil them in practice. Hence it is that of the Luke 2, Virgin Mother herself it is written. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Which same words even when they come forth to the practising lie hidden in the recesses of the heart, if through that which is done without, the mind of the doer be not lifted up within.

For when the word conceived is carried on to the deed, if human praise is aimed at herein, the word of God assuredly is not * hidden in the bosom of the mind.' But T would God alone IS 0/ Himself, all else has being from Him. '253 know, O blessed man, wherefore thou examinest thyself with Book so much earnestness, wherefore thou takest thyself to task ^^^' with so much anxiety ? It goes on, Ver. 13. But He is Himself alone, and no m,an can turn away His thought.

Are there not angels and men, the heavens and thcxxxvii. earth, the air and the waters of the ocean, all the winged creatures, quadrupeds, and creeping things? And surely it is Gen. 2, written, WJiicli God created that they should he. Whereas ' then there is such a multitude of things in the circle of nature, wherefore is it now said by the voice of the blessed man. He is Himself alone ? Why, it is one thing to be, and another thing to BE primarily, one thing to be subjectly to change, and another thing to BE independently of change. For these are all of them in being, but they are not maintained in being in themselves, and except they be maintained by the hand of a governing agent, they cannot ever be. For all things subsist in Him by Whom they were created, nor do the things that live owe their life to themselves, nor are those that are moved, but do not live, by their own caprice brought to motion. But He moveth all things, Who quickens some with lifie, whilst some that are not so quickened He preserves, disposing them in a wonderful way for last and lowest being. For all things were made out of nothing, and their being would again go on into nothing, except the Author of all things held it by the hand of governance. All the things then that have been created, by themselves can neither subsist nor be moved, but they only so far subsist, as they have obtained that they should be, are only so far moved, as they are influenced by a secret impulse.

For see the sinner is ordained to be scourged by human accidents ; the earth is parched in his toilings, the sea tossed in the shipwreck of him, the air on fire in his sweating, the heavens are darkened in floods upon him, his fellow creatures burn with fire in oppressions of him, and the angelical powers are made active in his troubling. Are all these things which we have named being inanimate, or which we have named endued with life, put into activity by their own instincts, or rather by impulses from God } Whatever therefore it be that is arrayed against us outwardly, in that thing 254 IVhat seems to change God's Will, comes of It. Job 23, That Being is to be regarded Who ordains it inwardly. Tn every case then He is to be regarded as alone, Who IS Ex.^3 primarily, Who also saith to Moses, / AM THAT I AM, 14. Thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel^ He that IS hath sent me unto you. And so, when we are scourged by the things that we see, we ought anxiously to fear Him Whom we do not see. And so let the holy man look down upon all that alarms him without, all that in respect of its being would go on to nothing except it were ruled, and with the eye of the mind, all else being kept back, let him see Him only in comparison with Whose Being for ourselves to be is not to be, and let him say. He only is Himself alone.

Concerning Whose unchangeableness it is directly after added with propriety. No man can turn away His thought, for as He is unchangeable in Nature, so He is unchangeable in Will. For ' none tumeth away His thought,' in that no man has power to resist His secret judgments. Since though there have been persons who might seem to ' have turned away His thought,' yet His interior thought was this, that they should by praying have power to avert His sentence, and that they should obtain from Him what to effect with Him. So let him sav, and no man tumeth away His thought, in that His judgments once Ps. 148, fixed can never be altered. Whence it is written, He hath ' , made a decj^ee rvhich shall not pass. And again. Heaven 13, 3L and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass Is. 55,8. away. And again. For My thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways as My ways. And so whenever outwardly the sentence appears to be altered, inwardly the counsel is not altered, in that in relation to each particular thing that is unalterably established within, whatever is done alterably without. It goes on ; A?id ivhat His soul desireth, even that He doeth. xxviii. 47. Whereas God is exterior to all bodies, interior to all minds, that identical power of His, whereby He penetrates all things, and regulates all things, is called His ' soul.' Whose will not even those things oppose, which appear to be done contrary to His will, seeing that even what He does not order, to this end He sometimes suffers to be done, that so through this thing that which He does order may be the How Jcb^ so afflicfcd, could/ear more.

255 more surely done. For the will of the Apostate Angel is bad, Book yet by God it is wonderfully ordered, so that even his very ■* artifices as well should promote the welfare of the good, whom they purify whilst they try. So then * whatever His soul desireth, that He doeth,' that from the same source as well He might fulfil His will, whence there seemed to be a resisting of His will. Therefore let the holy man be filled with alarm, and contemplating the weight of that great Majesty, let him find himself out to be weak.

But it is well to put the question amidst these words, and to say, * O blessed Job, wherefore in the midst of such scourges dost thou dread still further aflOiictions ?' Thou art already encompassed with sorrows, by innumerable calamities thou art already straitly beset. Misfortune is to be apprehended, which is not yet entered upon. Thou being in the midst of such great sorrow, what dost thou apprehend? But mark how the holy man satisfying our questioning adds; Ver. 14. For when He hath accomplished His will in me, there are many other such things with Him.

As if he said in plain words, ' Already I weigh well^ what I am suffering, but I still dread things that I may undergo.' For He accomplishes His will in me, in that He afflicts one with many strokes, but * there are many like things with Him,' in that if He is minded to strike. He sees yet further where the stroke may be added to. Hence we may collect how fearful he was before the scourge, who even after being scourged still dreads lest he should be farther stricken. For seeing the incomprehensible force both of power and penetration that resides in Him, the righteous man would not even on the ground of the scourge upon him be secure. And hence fearing still more He adds ; Ver. 15. Therefore am I troubled at His presence ; when I consider I am afraid of Him.

He is rightly ' troubled at the presence of the Lord,' who sets before the view of his eyes the terribleness of His Majesty, and is throughly shaken by dread of His Righteousness, whilst he sees that he is not fit to render his accounts if he be judged with severity. Now it is rightly said, JVhen I consider I am afraid of Him, because the force of the Divine visitation when a man considers little. 256 Job's continued fearing, a special gift of God. Job 23, He dreads but little, and in this life is as it were secure, in proportion as he is a stranger to the consideration of the Lit. interior strictness. For the righteous are ever turning back into the secret chamber of the heart, contemplating the power of the hidden strictness, presenting themselves to the judgment of the interior Majesty, that they may one day be the more secure, in proportion as they would not make themselves secure here so long as they lived. For when the minds of evildoers refuse to consider what they have to fear, sooner or later by rejoicing they are brought to that, which they do not by fearing in any way escape. But see in regard to blessed Job, we know that he was devoted to frequent sacrifices to God, that he was given up to acts of hospitality, to the necessities of the poor, that he was humble towards his own dependants even, kind towards those that opposed him, and yet he received such numberless scourges, nor now became secure amidst them, but still entertained fear, still thinking of the power of the Divine strictness he is made to tremble.

What then shall we miserable creatures say.? what shall we sinners say, if he so fears, who so acted? But let him make known whether the weight of this great fear he has from himself. It goes on ; Ver. 16. For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty trouhleth me. xli. 51. By divine gift the heart of the righteous man is said to be made soft, in that it is penetrated with the fear of the judgment from Above. For that it is soft, which is capable of being penetrated, but that is hard, which cannot be Prov.28, penetrated. Whence it is said by Solomon, Happy is the ^^' man that feareth always, hut he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief And so the merit of his dread he ascribes not to himself but to his Creator, who says. For God maketh my heart soft, and the Abnighty troubleth me. Now the hearts of good men are not secure but troubled, in that whilst they think on the heavy weight of the future reckoning, they do not seek to enjoy rest here, and they interrupt their security by the thought of the interior severity. Which persons nevertheless, in the midst of the very chastenings of fear, often recall their mind to the gifts, and that by comforting they may cheer themselves, amidst this which they fear, Job not punished. Saints have to watch against faults. 257 they bring back the eye to the gifts which they have received, Book that hope may buoy up him whom fear bears down. Hence ' too it follows ; Ver. 17. Because I have not perished on account of the overhanging darkness; neither hath the darkness covered my face,

For he, being set under the scourge, dies off from the health of the body ' on account of the overhanging darkness,' who is for this reason smitten for the past that he may be shielded from future punishments. For scourges inflicted on the good either wipe out evil things done, or parry off future ones which might have been done. But blessed Job, forasmuch as when set under the rod he was neither purified fi'om foregoing sins nor shielded from those that threatened, but only had his goodness increased under the stroke, says with confidence. Because I have not perished on account of the overhanging darkness, neither hath the darkness covered my face. For he that always had before his eyes the weight of divine dread, the face of his heart the darkness of sin never covered. And he whom no punishments followed, did not lose the health of the body * on account of the overhanging darkness.'

And it is to be noted, that in his own person telling what had gone before, he never says ' neither hath darkness touched my face,' but ' neither hath darkness covered my face;' for often even the hearts of the righteous do thoughts arising defile, and affect them with the gratifications of things earthly, but whereas they are speedily put away by the hand of holy discretion, it is quickly brought to pass that darkness should not cover the face of the heart, which was already touching it by unlawful enjoyment; for often in tlie very sacrifice of prayer urgent thoughts press themselves on us, that they should have force to carry off" or pollute what we are sacrificing in ourselves to God with weeping ej^es. Whence when Abraham at sunset was off'eriiig up the sacrifice, he was subject to birds setting on, which he diligently drove away, that they might not carry off the sacrifice which had been offered. So let us, when we offer to God a holocuast upon the altar of our hearts, keep it from unclean birds, that the evil spirits and bad thoughts may not seize upon that VOL. II. s 95ft Cod known by FaUh^ hut incomprehensible in Nature. JoH 24, wliicli our mind hopes that it is offering up to God to a good * — end. It goes on; Ltt. C. xxiv. 1. Times are not hidden from the Almighty; they that know Him, know not His days, xliii.

54. What are called ' the days' of God, save His very Eternity itself? which is sometimes described by the anpg. 84, nouncement of one day,' as where it is written. For one day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. But sometimes on account of its length it is represented by the expression of a Ps. 102, number of days, whereof it is written, Thy years are through' out all generations. We then are wrapped up within the divisions of time, through this that we are created beings. But God, Who is the Creator of all things, by His Eternity encompasses our times. And so he says. Times are not hidden from the Almighty ; they that know Him, know not His days; seeing that He, indeed, sees all of ours to the comprehending thereof, but all that is His we are in no degree able to comprehend. But whereas the nature of God is simple, it is very much to be wondered at why he should say, They that know Him, know not His days. For it is not that He Himself is one thing and His ' days' another; since God is that thing which He hath. For He hath eternity, yet He is Himself Eternity. He hath Light, yet He is Himself His own Light. He hath brightness, yet He is Himself His own Brightness. And so in Him it is not one thing to be, and another thing to have.

What does it mean then to say, They that know Him, know not His days, except that even they that know Him, do not know Him as yet ? For even they who already hold Him by faith, as yet know Him not by appearance. And whereas He, Whom we truly believe, is Himself eternity to Himself, yet in what way there is that eternity of Him we know not. For in the thing that we hear touching the power of the Divine Nature, we are sometimes used to imagine such things as we know by experience. I Thus every single thing that begins and ends, is bounded by the beginning and ending. And if it be by any little delay stayedfrombeingendedjit is called long; on which same length whilst a man carries back the eyes of his mind in recollection, and stretches them out before in anticipation, as it were over a space of time he expands them in imagination. And when Our conceptions of God always imperfect. '259 he hears the elernity of God mentioned in human sort, to his Book mind on the stretch he sets fortli long spaces of hfe,in which same he may ever measure both what has gone away in the rear as a thing to be retained in the memory, and what remains before as a thing to be looked forward to in the intention.

But as often as in the case of eternity we have such thoughts, we do not as yet know eternity. For that which is neither commenced by a beginning nor finished by an ending, is there, where neither is there looked forward to that which shall come, nor does there pass by that which may be recalled to mind, but that alone is, which is everlasting BEING. Which though we and the Angels with a beginning begin to see to be, yet we see it to be without beginning, where it is to be always without end, in such a way, that the mind never extends itself to things following in a sequence, as if things that are were multiplied and made long. For though by the Spirit of Prophecy it is said. The Lord shall reign/or ever and^ /or Exod. worlds and further; after the manner of Holy Writ, thej^-i^^ Spirit spoke in man's way to men, so as to speak of* further' so. there, where looking forward could not enter. For eternity has no * further,' which has it always to be, wherein no part of its length goes by that another part should take its place, but the whole at once is Being, that nothing should seem to be wanting to it, which it may not see, in which eternity every thing that is the mind sees to be at once not slow and long. But in speaking such things of the days of eternity we are trying to see something more than we do see.

And so let it be rightly said, lliey that know Him know not His days; in that though we already know God by faith, yet how His Eternity is at once without a past before all ages, without a future after all ages, long without delay, and everlasting without looking forward, we do not see. Thus blessed Job, \a hilst bearing a type of Holy Church, (because he restrains himself under a great bridling of knowledge, so as not to be wiser than he ought to be,) and testifying that the days of God can never be understood, directly brings back the view of the mind to the pride of Heretics who aim to be deeply enlightened, and what they are incapable of taking in at all, they boast that they know in perfect measure. Thus it goes on; 260 Heretics pervert the simple sheep and labouriitf/ asses. Job 24, Ver. 2. Others remove the landmarks ; they violently lake _: — away /locks, and feed them. xliv. ^6. Whom does he denote by the title of others," saving Heretics, wlio to the bosom of Holy Church are strangers ? For they the same persons remove landmarks, in that the constitutions of the Fathers they by walking awry do overstep. Concerning which same constitutions it is written, V\ov.i2,Jlemove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set. And these violently take away the Jlocks, and feed them, in that all the inexperienced, by wicked persuasions, they draw to themselves, and with baneful lessons nourish them for slaughtering.

For that the ignorant multitudes are represented by the designation of ' flocks,' the words of the Spouse bear witness, Who addresses His Espoused, in the words. Except thou know thyself, O beautiful amongst ivomen, depart forth, and go after the footsteps of the flocks ; i. e. ' excepting that by living well, thou knowest thine honour whereby thou art created after the likeness of God, depart forth from the sight of the contemplation of Me, and ' al. ' the follow the life* of the uninstructed multitudes. It goes on: Ver. 3. They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow'' s ox for a pledge. xlv. 57. Whom do we understand by the fatherless in this place, but the Elect of God, who are set in tenderness of mind, are nourished with the efficacious grace of faith, and do not yet see the face of their Father, Who has already died in their behalf And there are very many in the Church, who see certain persons aiming at the things of heaven, having all earthly things in contempt, and though they themselves are toiling with all their strength in this world's labours, yet to those whom they see panting after heavenly things, from the goods which they possess in this world, they bring this life's aid and support. And though they cannot themselves follow a spiritual life, yet to those reaching forth to the things above they gladly yield means of support.

For an ass is used to bear the burthens of men. He then is as it were a kind of ass of the Elect, who whilst yielding himself to earthly courses, carries loads for the uses of men. And often when Heretics turn aside anv such person from the bosom of Holy Church, they are as it were They take ihe^ox'ofthe widowedChurch ^toget more from her. 26 1 driving off the ass of the fatherless, in that when they force Book him into their own misbelief, they drive him away from tendance on the good.

But who is to be understood by the ' widow' saving Holy Church, who is bereft in the mean season of the sight of her slain Husband ? Now ^ the ox' of this ' widow' is every individual preacher. And it often chances that Heretics by their perverted tenets draw over even those very persons that appeared to be preachers. And so they ' take the widow's ox,' when they carry off from Holy Church even a person preaching. And it is rightly added here, /or a iiledge. For when a pledge is taken away, one thing indeed is held in our hands, but another yet further is sought for. And very often Heretics for this reason try to carry off those that preach, that they may draw to them their followers likewise. Thus ' the widow's ox is taken away for a pledge,' when the same person that practised preaching is for this reason earned off, that others may follow after him. By whose downfall it is very often brought about, that they also go forth from the bosom of Holy Church, who, imbued with godly habits in her, seemed to be meek and humble. Hence it is added ; Ver. 4). They have turned the needy out of the way; and have oppressed together the meek of the earth*

For by the term of ' poverty,' humility is very often denoted; and very often they that appear gentle and humble, if they have not leanit to maintain discretion, fall by the examples of other men. But there are some Heretics, who eschew to mix themselves with the multitudes, and seek the retirement of a life of greater privacy, and these very often with the bane of their persuasion poison those that they meet with the more, in proportion as by the claims of their life they the more seem deserving of respect. Concerning whom it is subjoined ; Ver. 5. Others as wild asses^ in the desert go forth to^ onagri their work,

For the * onager' is a wild ass; and in this place Heretics are rightly likened to * wild asses,' in that being let loose in their pleasures, they are strange to the fetters of faith and reason. Hence it is written ; A wild ass iised to the wilderJer. 2, 262 Heretics rob GocTsJield and vliujjdrd by violence. Job 24, ness that snuffelh up the wind of his love at his pleasure. For he is a wild ass used to the wilderness, who whilst he does not Alleg. cultivate the ground of his heart with excellence of discipline, there dwells, where there is no fruit. Since he ^ snuffeth up the wind of his love at his pleasure,' in that the things that from the desire of knowledge he conceives in his mind, are efficacious I Cor. 8, to puff up but not to edify. Against whom it is said, Know- ■*• ledge puffeth up^ hut charity edifieth. Hence here too the words are suitably brought in ; they go forth to their work. For it is not the work of God, but their own work that they do, whereas they follow not right doctrines, but their own Ps. 101, desires. For it is written. He that walketh i?i a perfect way^ ^' he served me. So he that does not walk in a perfect way, serves himself more than the Lord. It goes on ; Watching for a prey, they provide bread for their children.

xlviii. 6i' They ' watch for a prey,' who are always trying to seize the words of the righteous according to their own perception, that by them they may provide the bread of error for evil-minded children. Of which some bread it is said in Solomon, in the words of the woman that bears the figure of Prov. 9, heretical wickedness. Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. It goes on ; Ver. 6. They reap a field not their own, and the vineyard of him whom they have oppressed by violence they gather.

By the name of a * field' may be denoted the wide compass of Holy Scripture, and Heretics ' reap' it not being their own, in that they carry away from it sentences which are infinitely removed from their own notions; which same is furthermore described by the title of a ' vineyard,' in that through the sentences of truth it puts forth the clusters of the virtues; the owner of which vineyard, i. e. the originator of Holy Scripture, they as it were ' oppress with violence,' because they endeavour violently to twist and turn a sense Is. 43, of His upon* the words of Holy Writ ; as He saith. But thou \i,,on\yhast made Me to serve with thy sins, thou hast given Me reads labour in thine iniquity. And they * reap the vintage of words.' that vineyard,' in that they heap together therefrom clusters of sentences after the bent of their own understanding. It may be that by the title of a ' field' or of a ' vineyard' the Church Universal is set forth, wPiich corrupt preachers 'reap,' They strip men of good works iJiat were their coicrlinj. 2()3 and by oppressing in His memljors the Author of it, * gather the Book vintage,' in that in bearing down upon the grace of our 1 Creator, whilst they seize off therefrom persons who seemed to be rigliteous, what else is this but that they carry off ^ ears' or ' clusters' of souls ? Of whom it is yet further added ; Ver. 7. They send men away naked, taking away their garments, who have no covering in the cold.

As garments cover the body, so do good works the j, soul. Whence it is said to one, Blessed is lie that watcJtelh Rev. KJ, and keepeth his garments, lest lie walk naked, and they see ^^' his shame. So Heretics, when in the minds of any they destroy good works, manifestly take away the garments of clothing; and it is well said, who have no covering in the cold. For ' covering' has relation to righteousness, ' cold' to sin. And there are some that in some points commit sin, but in some points follow good works. He then that does wrong by one set of actions, and practises righteousness by another, what is this man but clothed in the cold ? He is cold, and he is covered, in that in one part of practice he is made warm for righteousness, in another he is made cold for sin. But whenever Heretics take away their good works from such persons, they bring it to pass that they have not in the cold wherewith to clothe themselves. Therefore it is rightly said. They send men away naked, taking away their garments, who have no covering in the cold; that is, for the cold of sin by itself to kill those whom the warmth of a different practice in some degree covered. But it may be, that by the cold thereis denoted desire, by the garment practice. And there are great numbers who are still agitated with wrong desires, but striving with themselves in the spirit, they fight against themselves by right works, and with good actions cover that which they perceive through temptation to spring against them of the wrong sort.

And so these from the cause that they desire what is evil are cold, and by the act by which they practise what is good, they are clothed. But when Heretics by wrong statements do away with the works of a right faith, what else do they bring to pass but that those that still feel the cold of carnal desires should die without the clothing of good works r It proceeds ; 264 Men lacking ri(jhleousness seek the aid of holy Martyrs. Job 24, Ver. 8. Thei/ are wet with the showers of the mountains, 8. 9. c/ ' . , ' ' and embrace the stones for want of a qarment, ALLEG. -^ ./ .7

' The showers of the mountains' are the words of the learned. Of which same * mountains' it is delivered by the Ps. 121, voice of Holy Church; I lifted up mine eyes unto the hills: and so those persons, 'the showers of the mountains wet,' in that the streams of the holy fathers fill them to the full. But as we have already said before, ' the garment' we take for the covering of good practice, with which a man is covered, that in the eyes of Almighty God the filthiness of his depravity should be clothed over. Whence it is written, ^^'^'^i^' Blessed are they whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Whom do we understand by the title of ' the stones' but the strong ones within the bounds of Holy Church, to 1 Pet.2, wtiom it is declared by the first shepherd ; Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house. And so those who on the grounds of their own practice have no reliance, fly to the protection of the holy Martyrs, at their sacred bodies set themselves to tears, and entreat, at their intercessions, to obtain pardon % What then do these do by such self-abasement, but because they lack the covering of good practice ' embrace the stones ?' It goes on ; Ver. 9. TJiey have done violence in 'preying on the father - ' ^i^i-gus Iq8s, and have spoiled the common folk of the poor\ ru?n.

65. When Heretics lack the good fortune of the present lii' life, to weak minds they recommend by words of soft persuasion things that are wrong ; but if the good fortune of the present time at all smiles upon them, they do not cease even by violence to draw those they are able. So that by the title of ' fatherless' they are denoted who are still delicate, being set within the pale of Holy Church, whose life their merciful Father by dying preserved, who are already brought i or ward to a good purpose of mind, but are not yet confirmed with any efficacy in good deeds. The Heretics, then, ' do violence in '^ He speaks as of an established of damnation. But St. Gregory always practice, and in fact it is found at a speaks of the remission of punishment as much earlier period. See St. Chrys. on a matter of degrees, and in Horn, in Ev. the Statues, Horn. vi.§. 19, and note l.Tr. xxxii. 7. where he relates a vision of p. 134. The Church has never departed SS. Processus and Martinianus, he from the doctrine of St. Chrys. on 1 says they promised the woman who Cor. end of Hom. xlii. that no interoffered them aims to do in the Day of cession can deliver one who is in a state Judgment ' tvhaf they could.* Heretics take the bread of trutlt from Imnyer'my souls.

265 preying on the fatherless,' in that upon the weak minds of Book the faithful they make assault with violence in words and deeds. But ^ the common folk of the poor' are the uninstructed multitude, which, if it had the riches of true knowledge, would never part with the covering of its faith. For genuine teachers are like a kind of senators within the bounds of Holy Church, who, while they multiply knowledge in the heart, abound in the true riches in themselves. But Heretics ' spoil the common sort of the poor,' in that whilst the learned they cannot, all the unlearned by their pestilent preaching they strip naked of the covering of the faith. It goes on ; Ver. 10. From the 7iaked, and those going without clothing and a hungered, they have taken away the ears of corn, Q^. What he calls naked he repeats in the words without clothing, but it is one thing to he naked and another thing to go naked. Thus every person that does neither what is good nor what is bad is naked and idle ; but he that does what is evil * goes naked,' in that without the covering of good practice he is going by the road of wickedness. But there are some who, as knowing the evil of their wickedness, are in haste to be filled with the bread of righteousness, and hunger to receive the sayings of Holy Scripture ;

and these, as often as they turn over in thought the sentences of the Fathers for the improvement of the mind, as it were from a good crop they carry ears of corn. And so ' from the naked and those going without clothing and a hungered. Heretics take away ears of corn;' in that whether any persons be idle and never exercise themselves in any thing good, or whether they are going by the way of shamelessness without the covering of good practice, even if they at any time have now the desire to return to repentance, and long for the food of the word, from those same being a hungered they take away the ears of corn, because in the minds of those persons by mischievous persuasions they destroy the sentences of the Fathers. Nor do we improperly say that the ears of corn signify the sentences of the Fathers, in that often whilst they are delivered in forms of figurative diction, we remove the covering of the letter from them like the chaff of corn, that we may be regaled with the marrow of the Spirit. It goes on \ 266 Heretics join those who tread the winepress of persecution . Job 24, Ver. 11. They rest at mid-day amid the heaps of those that thirst with the winepresses being trodden. Alleg. Ijy^ 67. All those that persecute Holy Church, what else do they but * tread the winepress ?' Which is allowed to be by the Divine appointment, that the clusters of souls may flow out into spiritual wine, and being divested of the corruptible flesh run into the heavenly realms as into a receptacle.

For whilst the unrighteous bear down the righteous, they as it were put clusters of the grape beneath their feet. And the clusters being squeezed run over for the fulness of the heavenly feast, which were before as if hanging in the freedom of this air. Thus David the Prophet, regarding the chastening of Holy Church^, writes the Psalm ' for the winepresses.' Now all that bear hard upon the life of the faithful, tread and thirst, in that by doing things that are cruel they are rendered the more savage ; being blinded by just deserts of their ungodliness, they go about to do things more grievous the more they have already done grievous things. But Heretics, when they have not themselves the power of persecuting, stir up the men of this world that have power, and incline their minds for the exercising persecution, and inflame them with what persuasions they are able. And when they see these pursuing cruel measures against the lives of the Catholics, they as it were rest in the very fervour of the sun. Therefore it is well said now, They rest at mid-day amidst the heaps of those that thirst with the winepresses being trodden, m that they join the multitude of those whom they see already employed in hard measures and still thirsting after harder ones. And whilst the fervour of these satisfies their desires, they rest in the deeds of such as in the mid-day.

It goes on ; Ver. 12. TJiey have caused men to groan out of the cities. Iv. 68. Whereas cities (civitates) are so called from the people living together, (conviventes,) by the designation of ' cities' the churches of the true faith are not unfitly represented, which being settled in the diff'erent parts of the ^ Psalms viiijlxxxi, and Ixxxiv. bear from ' Gath' and signifies '■ of Gath.' the title, ' Pro torcularibus' in Viilg. The word for winepresses is 'Gittoth,' 'TtX^ vZv Xvivuv, Sept. Thewordinthe with which '■ Gittith' is probably conHebrew is Gittith, which is retained in nected. See also Calmet's Com. in the title of the E. A. V. it is derived Vet. Test, in Ps. They cause grief in the cities of God by hurthiy the weak. 2f)7 world constitute one Catholic Church, in which all the Book faithful thinking what is right concerning God live together in harmony. For this very harmony of people living together the Lord even by the distinguishing of places set forth in the Gospel, when being about to satisfy the people with five loaves. He bade them lie down by fifties or hundreds in ranks, so that the crowd of the faithful might take its food at once separate in places, and united in ways. For the rest of the jubilee is contained in a mystery of the number fifty, and fifty is canied twice to be brought to a hundred.

Therefore because there is first rest from bad practice, that the soul may afterwards rest more perfectly in the thoughts, some lie down by fifties and some by hundreds, since there are some that already enjoy the rest of practice from evil deeds, and there are some that already enjoy the rest of the soul from evil thoughts. Wherefore since Heretics often, attaching themselves to the powerful evil-doers of this world, bear down upon the united life and harmony of the good, it is rightly said in this place, They have caused men to groan from the cities. Whom blessed Job rightly describes as ' men,' in that Heretics rather go about to put an end to those, who with perfect steps run in the way of God not effeminately and loosely but manfully ; who when they see the wound of misbelief inflicted in the mind of the faithful little ones, always fall back to crying out and groaning. And hence it is rightly said. And the soul of the woimded crieth, and God suffer eth him not to go unavenged.

For the soul of the righteous is * wounded,' when the Ivi. faith of the weak is unsettled, unto whom this identical thing * to cry' is to be now consumed for the downfall of another. But God does not suffer him to go unavenged, in that though by just appointment he suffers an unjust thing to be done, yet He does not let that unjust thing go unavenged which He has justly permitted to be done, seeing that at once by the injustice of the sons of perdition He smites certain sins of the Elect, which He sees to be in them, and yet by Eternal Justice docs not neglect to smite the injustice of those smiters. It goes on, Ver. 13. They are rebellious against the light. 208 Men refuse the Ihjht^ and tlien lose sight of it. Job 24, 70. Very often wicked people at once know the right things that they ought to follow, and yet neglect to follow vii. what they know ; and so they are ' rebellious against the light,' in that following their desires, they contemn the good that they know. They then that do wrong not from ignorance, but pride, present the shield of their exaltation against the darts of truth, that they may not be stricken in heart to their good. By which same pride of theirs it is brought to pass, that whereas they will not do the things that they know, neither do they now know the good they should do, but that their own blindness should utterly exclude them from the light of truth.

And hence it is fitly subjoined. They know not the ways thereof, nor have returned by the paths thereof, Iviii. 71. For they that are first rebels knowing it, are afterwards blinded so as not to know ; as it is said of certain, Eom. 1, Because that when they knevj God they glorified Him not as Qod, neither were thankfid. Of whom it is added a little V. 28. while afterwards, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. For because they would not glorify Him Whom they knew, being given over to a reprobate sense, they were left to this fate, that they should not any longer know how to estimate the evil things they did. And it is well said, They know not the ways thereof neither have returned by the paths thereof. For a ' path' is narrower than a ' way.' Now those that care not to do the plainer good works, never attain to the understanding of the more refined. But Almighty God waited that they might go * by the paths thereof.' And would that they had been minded even to have * returned' by them, that the paths of life which they would not keep by innocency they might at least keep by repentance. Wherein of what great mercifulness are the bowels of God is shewn, in that those whom He sees departing from Him, He seeks that they may return.

Hence after the sins of those doing wrong having been enumerated, He calls back the SynaJer.3,4.gogue by the voice of Prophecy, saying, Therefore at least from this time cry unto Me, My Father, Thou art the guide of my youth. It proceeds; The wicked viurderous in his day of power. 269 Ver. 14. The murderer rising with the light killeth the Book poor and needy , and in the night is as a thief.

Whereas the murderer in the killing of his neighbours \\^ ' is wont to come upon them chiefly in the silence of the night, why is it that he is said in this place to * rise with the light' in order to ^ kill the poor and needy,' whilst * in the night' he is described ' to be as a thief?' Now forasmuch as the letter in the bare words alone is not consistent with itself, we are called back for the investigating the hidden meanings of the Spirit. In Holy Scripture the * morning' is sometimes used to be put for the coming of the Lord's Incarnation, sometimes for the coming of the henceforth dreadful and searching Judge, sometimes for the prosperity of the present life. Thus the coming of the Lord's Incarnation proved a ' morning,' as the Prophet saith, The morning is. 21, cometh, and also the night; in that both the beginnings'^' of the new light shone forth in the appearing of our Redeemer, and yet the shades of their misbelief were not cleared off from the hearts of the persecutors. Again, by the * morning' the coming of the Judge is denoted. Whence it is said by the Psalmist, Early I will destroy all theVs.ioi, wicked of the land. As also when personating the Elect, ' he says, /// the morning will I stand in Thy presence, and Fs. 5,3. will look ftp.

Again, by the ^ morning' this life's prosperity is represented ; as where it is said by Solomon, Woe to thee, Ecc. lo, O land, when thy King is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning. For whereas the morning is the first part of the day and the evening the last, we ought not ever to be regaled by this life's prosperity which goes first, but by those things which at the end of the day, that is at the termination of the world, follow after. Thus those ' eat in the morning,' who by this world's successes are lifted up, and whilst they passionately interest themselves with present things, pay no heed to the things of the future. For whosoever i John hateth his brother is a murderer. So the * murderer rises ' *'' up with the earliest dawn,' in that every wicked man is set up in the glory of the present life, and bears down the life of those, who whilst they thirst after the glory to follow, as it were anxiously look out to be filled in the evening. For the bad man in this world whilst seizing on the dignity of 270 Heretics adulteroush/ seek fame, not cJiildren for God. Job 24, transitory power spreads himself out the more cruelly for the jyr' ' enacting of what is evil, in proportion as there is no man he loves in the bowels of charity. I^'or as often as in the thoughts of his heart he is maddened against the good, so often does he kill the life of the innocent.

And if, God ordaining it, he suddenly lose the glory of the power he has gotten, he changes his place but not his disposition, for he directly falls away to that, which is subjoined. And in the night is as a thief. For in the night of his tribulation and sunkenness, though he has no power to put forth the hand of cruelty, yet to those whom he sees to be empowered, he recommends counsels of wickedness, and goes about hither and thither, and prompts whatever things he is able toward the injuring of the good. And he is rightly called ' as a thief,' because in all those very evil counsels of his he dreads lest he should be caught out. He then that towards the poor and needy is a murderer in the morning, in the night like a thief is hidden out of sight, in that every bad man, who in this life's prosperity by bearing down kills the life of the humble, being in adversity and abasement, by evil counsels does mischief in a concealed way, and what he is unable to accomplish by himself, that he puts in practice by attaching himself to the powerful ones of this world. Tt goes on ; Ver. 15. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me. Ix. 74. There is nothing to hinder but that this may be understood even after the latter, seeing that he who desires to commit adultery, seeks out the dark.

But whereas it is a sentence uttered against. Heretics, it is meet that this thing which is declared be understood in a mystical sense. Thus 2 Cor. 2, Paul says. For we are not as many that adulterate^ the word • Vul^. of God. For the adulterer seeks not offspring, but pleasure ^ aduite- '^y^ the act of carnal copulation. And every bad man, and rantes. ^ . . that is also a slave to vain-glory, is rightly said to ' adulterate' the word of God, because by the sacred word of Revelation he desires not to beget children to God, but to exhibit his own knowledge. For he that is drawn to speak by lust of glory, bestows his pains rather on gratification than the production of children. And it is rightly added there, No eye Him that so disyuiseth himself, God will not know. 271 shall see me; because the adultery which is committed in Book the interior is very hard indeed that it shouhl be penetrated 'by the eye of man. Which same the froward soul commits with the more assurance, in proportion as it does not fear being seen by men, whom it may blush at. Moreover it is to be known that as he that commits adultery joins to himself unlawfully the flesh of another man's wife, so all heretics, while they carry off* the faithful soul into their own error, are as it were bearing off another's wife, in this way;

because the soul which is spiritually wedded to God and joined to Him as if in a kind of bridechamber of love, when by wicked persuasions it is led on into corruptness of doctrine, is as it were like the wife of another defiled by the corrupter. And it is well added ; And disguiseth his face. lb. It is for this reason that the adulterer ^ disguises his Ixi. face,' that he may not be known. Now every man who either in thinking or in acting lives badly, ' disguises his face,' because by corruptness in doctrine or in practice he is tending to this, that he should not be able to be recognised in the Judgment by Almighty God. Hence He shall say to certain persons at the end, / never knew you; depart from Matt. 7 ^ Me, ye that work iniquity. And what is the ' face' of the human heart, save the likeness of God ? which same face the bad man ^ disguiseth,' that he may not be able to be known, when his life he discomposes either by bad deeds, or by the error of misbelief. But every such person when he sees the righteous upheld by this world's good fortune, never ventures to prompt what is wrong to them, but if any storm of adversity falls upon those persons, he directly breaks out into words of pestilent persuasion. And hence it is added ; Ver. 16. In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the day time; they know not the light.

For what is there here denoted by the title of * houses' Ixii. but consciences, wherein we dwell, when we do any thing, busying ourselves with it? Whence it is said to one on being healed, Return to thine own house, and shew howLnVeS, great things God hath done unto thee; i. e. henceforth, ^^* secure from the evil habit of sin, turn back to thy conscience, 272 TJiewickedchecked and alarmed hyfjood men's prosperity. Job 24, and be Ihou roused into the voice of preaching.' And so 1 fi ^rzr—^ — when in the present world the rip^hteous are briprhtened by Myst. ^ . ^ G J the day of prosperity, to those persons the leaders of false tenets are afraid to recommend what is wrong. But they search out counsels, with all care they await the abasement of their prosperity, that in the darkness of adversity they may by their persuading dig through the minds of those, to whom whilst living prosperously they never presumed to speak wrong things, whom as soon as they see under adversity they rise up and maintain, that no otherwise saving in desert of their sins those suffer such things; because loving the glory of the present life alone, the stroke they take for condemnation. So ' in the dark they dig through houses,' in that the minds of the good by their mere misfortune alone to corrupt is their endeavour. Now it is well said, which they had marked in the day time, in that when they saw the righteous to have been made to shine with the light of prosperity, because they were prevented speaking, they were only at liberty for concocting malevolent designs against them.

But whether it be heretics or any bad persons, they rejoice when they see the righteous in a depressed condition, whereas when they see those break forth to the height of power for ruling, they are confounded, they are filled with fears, they are consumed with misery. And hence it is added, Ver. \1 . If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them even as the shadow of death. Ixiii. 77. For the wicked look for the afflicting of the righteous, and long to see them in distress, and ' in the dark they dig through houses,' when the heart of the innocent but weak ones they corrupt in the season of their casting down by the worst mode of discourse. But it commonly happens that when they see the good in a sunken state, on a sudden, by the secret appointment of God, any righteous one that seemed to be borne down is upheld by some share of the world's power, and the prosperity of the present life smiles on him, whom the darkness of adversity before overlaid. Which same prosperity of that man when the wicked behold, as it has been said, they are troubled. For directly they turn back to their own hearts, they bring back before their minds' eye whatever they remember themselves to have done amiss, they The Kicked lore this dark state as if it tvere li(jht. 273 fear for every particular sinful habit to be avenj^ed in them, Book * .

. XVI. and by the same uijans by which he that receives power is made to shine, the bad man who dreads to be corrected is darkened in sorrow. And so it is well said, If tJie morning snddeidy appear, thetj think it is the shadow of death . For ' the morning' is the mind of the righteous man, which quitting the darkness of its sin, now breaks out into the light of eternity, as it is said of Holy Church likewise ; IVho is she that looketh Song of forth as the morning f Therefore in the same measure that lo. ' every righteous person shining with the light of righteousness is in the present life reared to a height with honours, in the same measure before the eyes of the wicked comes the * darkness of death,' in that they who remember that they have done bad things are in fear of being corrected. For they desire always to have a loose given them in their iniquities, to live free from correction, and from sin to have delight; whose fatal mirth is itself appropriately described in the words that are directly introduced, And they walk so in darkness, as in the light.

For with a froward mind they delight in deeds of Ixiv. w^ickedness, through their sin they are day by day being dragged to punishment, and are full of assurance. Hence it is said by Solomon, And there are wicked men that are a^Eccl. 8, secure as if they had the deeds of the righteous. Concerning * whom it is written again, Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the most wicked doings. Thus ' they walk in darkness as in the light,' in that they so delight in the night of sin as if the light of righteousness spread around them. Or otherwise, wdiereas darkness not inappropriately represents the present life, wherein the consciences of other men are not seen, whilst our light is the eternal land, in which when we look at faces, our hearts within us we mutually see ; and because the wicked so love the present life, and embrace these times of exile, as if they already reigned in their native country, it is rightly said. They walk in darkness as in the light, in that they are as full of gladness in the present state of blindness, as if they already enjoyed the light of the eternal country. It goes on ; He is light above the face of the water.

From the plural number he returns to the singular, Ixv, 274 Mind of Uie nicked borne away by the ?( ind oflewplaiion. Job 24, because most frequently one person begins what is bad, and -—- — numbers by imitating him follow after, but the fault is primarily his, who to the bad men following after furnished examples of wickedness; and hence the sentence frequently returns to him who was the leader in sin. Now the surface of water is carried hither and thither by the breath of the air, and not being steadied with any fixedness is put in motion every where. And so the mind of the wicked man is ' lighter than the surface of water,' in that every breath of temptation that touches it, draws it on without any retarding of resistance. For if we imagine the unstable heart of any bad man, what do we discover but a surface of water set in the wind ? For that man one while the breath of anger drives on, now the breath of pride, now the breath of lust, now the breath of envy, now the breath of falsehood forces along. And so he is * light above the surface of the water,' whom every wind of error when it comes drives before it. Whence too it Ps. 83, jg ^^,^Y\ said by the Psalmist, O my God, make them like a nheel, as the stubble before the wind.

For the wicked are *made like a wheel,' in that being sent into the round of labour, whilst the things that are before they neglect, and those which ought to be given up they follow, in the hind parts they are lifted up, and in the fore parts they fall. And they are likewise rightly compared to * stubble before the face of the wind,' in that, when the breath of temptation comes upon them, having no principle of gravity to rest upon, they are only lifted up to be dashed to the ground, and they often account themselves of some merit in proportion as the blast of error bears them on high. It goes on; Let their portion be cursed in the earth; and let him not walk by the way of the vineyards, Ixvi. go. Whoever in the present life does what is right and meets with misfortunes, is seen indeed to travail in adversity, but for the blessing of the everlasting inheritance he is finished complete; but whoever does what is bad and yet meets with good fortune, and does not even by the bountifulness of blessings withhold himself from wicked deeds, is seen indeed to prosper, but is tied fast by the bond of everlasting cursing. Hence it is rightly said now. Let their portion be cursed in the earthy in that though he is blessed for a time, Not guided hij the Churchy they go from error to error.

275 yet ho is held f\\st in tlie bond of cursinir. ConcerninQBook whom too it is fitly added, He walketh not by the way of 'the vifteyards. F'or ' the way of the vineyards,' is the lightness of the Churches. Wherein nothing hinders but that we understand either the heretic or every carnal man, because * the way of the vineyards,' i. c. the rightness of the Churches, is parted with, when either the right faith or the right rule of just living is not held. For he ' walks by the way .of the vineyards,' who taking to heart the preaching of the Holy Catholic Church, deviates neither from the right line of faith nor of good deeds. Since to * walk in the way of the vineyards' is to behold the Fathers of Holy Church as hanging clusters of the vine, whose words whilst he heeds in the toils of the journey, he is intoxicated with the love of Eternity. It goes on ; Ver. 19. Let him pass to excessive heal from the snow waters.

Iniquity is on this account likened to cold, because Ixvii. the mind that sins it binds up with insensibility. Hence it is written; As a fountain has made her waters cold^ so she^^^-^i has made her wickedness cold. Contrariwise charity is * heat,' in this respect that it fires the soul it fills. Of which * heat' it is written, Because iniquity shall abound, the love Mat.24, of many shall ua.v cold. And there are some who while they shun the cold of their wickednesses come to true faith or to the wearing of sanctity, but because they presume on their own faculties for perceiving more than should be, oftentimes in the faith which they receive they are minded to pry curiously into the things that they do not take in, so as to be held fast in God rather by reason than by faith. But because the mind of man has not power to dive into the mysteries of God, all that they cannot get to the bottom of by reason, they care not to believe, and by overmuch investigation they fall into error. So these, when they did not as yet believe, or were still busied for works of wickedness, were ' snow waters;' but when abandoning carnal deeds, in the faith to which they have been brought they aim to dive deeper than they have capacity for, they are hot beyond w-hat they ought to be. And so touching this wicked kind of person the sentence of one prophesying only and not wishing the thing is 27 i) Sin unrrpcnicd here is carried on to Hell.

Job 24, rightly delivered. Let him pass to overmuch heat from the — — '— snow waters. As if it were said in plain speech ; ' he that is not restrained in humility under the fetters of self-discipline, from his unbelief, or from the coldness of bad practice, through immoderate wisdom falls into error. Whence too the great Preacher getting quit of this excessive heat of too refined wisdom from the hearts of his disciples saith well, Rom. ^gf f^ j^Q ^i^^ of himself ahove that he ought to he wise; hut to he wise unto sobriety. Lest perchance excessive heat might destroy those, of whom 'snow waters,' i.e. unbelief, or the fruits of deadened actions, held possession in the way to die. And because it is very difficult for him who accounts himself wise to bring down his mind to humility and believe those that preach right things, and reject the view of his own wrong thought, it is rightly said ; Ver. 19. And his sin even to helL Ixviii. 82. For sin is ' brought even to hell,' which before the end of the present life is not by chastening reformed unto 1 John repentance. Of which same sin it is said by John, There '^' ' is a sin unto death, I do not say that he shall pray for it. For ' a sin unto death' is a sin even until death in this way, that the pardon of that sin is sought in vain which is not corrected here.

Concerning which same it is yet further subjoined ; Ver. 20. Let mercy forget him. Almighty God's mercy is said to ' forget him,' who has forgotten Almighty God's justice, in that whoever does not fear Him now as just, can never find him merciful afterward. Which same sentence is not only held out against him, who abandons the preachings of true faith, but against hira likewise, who being in the right faith lives a carnal life, in that the vengeance of eternal condemnation is not got quit of, whether sin lie in faith or practice. For though the kind of condemnation be unequal, yet guilt which is not wiped away by repentance, there is no means supplied for the absolving thereof. It goes on ; Tlie worm is his sweetness. Ixix. 83. Whoever desires to make his way prosperous in this world, to surpass the rest of the world, to swell high with substance and honours, to this man no doubt worldly busiIhe delight of the wicked is the won/i, restless and foul. 277 ness is a delight, and repose a labour. For he is very much Book tired if the business of the world be lacking wherewith to be lired. Now because it belongs to the nature of worms to be put in motion unceasingly every moment, restlessness of thoughts is not unjustly denoted by the name of ' worms.' And so ' the worm is the sweetness' of the wicked soul, in that he is fed to his satisfaction from the same source whence he is unceasingly agitated in restlessness.

Moreover it may be that by the title of the ' worm' the flesh may be more plainly denoted. Hence it is said further on, How much less man that is a worm? or the son qfmancA7,i4. ivhich is a worm? And so of every one that is full ofg" ' lust and devoted to the pleasures of the flesh, how great is the blindness is shewn, when it is said. The worm is his sweetness. For what is our flesh but ' rottenness' and ' the worm ?' And whosoever pants with carnal desires, what else does he but love ' the worm ?' For what the substance of the flesh is, our graves bear witness. What parent, what faithful friend can bear to touch the flesh of one however beloved fraught with worms? And so when the flesh is lusted after, let it be considered what it is when lifeless, and it is understood what it is that is loved. For nothing has so much efficacy to subdue the appetite of carnal desire, as for every one to consider, what that which he loves alive will be when dead. For when we consider the corruption of the flesh, we see in a moment, that when the flesh is unlawfully lusted after, corruption is desired. Therefore it is well said of the mind of the lustful man, the icorin is his sweetness, in that he who is on fire with the desire of carnal corruption, pants after the stink of rottenness.

All this, as I remember that I promised in the beginning B. of this third part, I have run over in brief, that the things which follow after in this work "", as they are involved in great obscurity, may with God's aid be more fully gone into. •= Opere. Ben. notes that some Mss. read ' corpora/ which would mean ' Volume.'

For he is not brought back into the * remembrance' of his Creator, whosoever to the very end of his life is in subjection to evil habits. Since if the recollection of the regard from Above did make itself feh on such an one, assuredly it would recall him from his wickedness. For his deserts require that he should be utterly blotted out from his Maker's remembrance. But it is to be borne in mind that God can never strictly be said to ' remember ;' for One Who cannot forget, in what way is it possible for Him to remember? But whereas it is our way that those whom we remember we embrace, but those whom we forget we part far from, after the usage of man God is both said to * remember,' when He bestows gifts, and to forget, when He forsakes one in guilt. But because He weighs all things, views all without any alternating of intermission, He both remembers the good, whom still He never forgets, and no Avise remembers the bad, whom nevertheless in judgment He does ever behold. For He as it were returns to the recollection of the good, which same nevertheless He never quitted, and as it were He never regards the bad, whose deeds howsoever He has an eye on, but reserves for the last scene the judgment of condemnation thereupon. For hence it is written. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Prov.15, beholding the evil and the good.

Hence it is said by the Psalmist, The face of the Lord is upon them that do evil, to Ps. 34, cut ojf the remembrance of them from, the earth. Therefore the persons for Him to punish He does regard, but those very persons before He did not see, in that He ' knows them not.' For He shall say to some at the end, / laiow you not whence Lukeis ye are ; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Thus, in a^^* wonderful way. He both beholds and forgets the life of bad men, in that those whom by severity of sentence He judges, as regards the remembrance of mercy He is ignorant of.

And these same, because they do not come into His remembrance, like an unfruitful stump are broken to pieces 280 Fruitless tree broken. TJte FlesJt barren, the soul widowed. Job 24, by IJis jndginont. P'or the earlli sui)p()rtccl them witli a ri — '- — temporal outfitting, the shower of preaching pomed down on them from above. But because their life never put forth the fruit of good works, the husbandman in anger cut it clean away, that according to the sentence of Truth it might not cumber the space, which another may occupy for fruit. Of Matt. 3, which same * unfruitful stump' it is said by John, And now Luke 3 ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^'^ ^'^^^ ^/ ^^'^ trees ; therefore every ^' tree wJiicli bringeih not forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. But in this place, in order that the eternal punishments of the lost sinner may be denoted, the tree is not said to be cut away, but to be broken to pieces, in that the death indeed of the flesh cuts off the reprobate, but the punishment ensuing breaks them in pieces. For here it is as it were cut down, when he is severed from the present life. But in hell it is broken in pieces, when he is tortured with everlasting damnation. But the holy man, as he set forth the strict punishment of the frovvard one, at once falls back to the sin, that by the immensity of the unjustness he may effectually teach that that excessive damnation of him was not unjust.

It goes on ; Ver. 21. For he fed the barren and her that hearetk not., aitd to the widoiv lie did not do good. Ill* 4. Who is it in this place that is denominated ' barren' saving the flesh, which while it goes after things present alone is not able to engender good thoughts ? and who is styled ' a widow' but the soul, which same because the Maker was minded to unite to Himself, He came to the marriage chamber of the carnal womb, as the Psalmist Ps 19,6. testifies, who saith, WJncJt is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber'^ And she is rightly called ' a widow,' in that her Husband underwent death in her behalf, and now in the retreats of heaven hidden from her eyes as in the tract of another region He lives. Thus the wicked man ' feeds the barren' and scorns to ' do good to the widow,' because in obeying the desires of the flesh, he makes little of the care of the soul and its hfe. For with the whole bent and with every effort he considers how without necessities of any kind the flesli which is to die may be made to hold on, and he is indifferent to concern himself for the life of the soul. The Church a Widow, Heretical sects barren. 281 which either in death or in bliss most snrely lives lor Book evermore.

Now it is rightly clone that when it is said, He fed the barren, it is directly added, and her that beareth not. For certain women we know from sacred history were found * barren,' but yet in the end of their days brought forth. But the flesh is not only called barren, but also she that beareth not^ in that of her own wit not even at the last is she capable of begetting good thoughts. For from her own vigour she is now already going off, and yet things transitory she still ceases not to long for, and being now spent of original force, is well nigh thrown off by that very world which she loves, yet by mischievous endeavour still strives to acquire what is temporal. She now no longer has the ability to do wicked things, yet does not a whit cease to mind in thought even the things which she does not in act. Rightly therefore is she called not only ' barren,' but also * one that beareth not,' in that of her own wit, as we said, for the offspring of good thought, not even when she has become powerless does she conceive.

Which same may likewise be understood of heretical persons preaching. For every single preacher of error, while he teaches a people set without the pale of the Church's unity, is surely ^ feeding the barren, and her that cannot bear,' seeing that he is bestowing the serviceableness of his labour upon her, who never makes any return of spiritual fruits. ' Neither does he do good to the widow,* forasmuch as for that Holy Church Universal, whose Husband suffered the adverse treatment of death, he scorns to live to and to serve. For to * do good to the widow' is to take much pains in the consoling of her, who by the love of her dead Husband is crushed to the ground. And hence by the voice of the Psalmist this same widow, i. e. Holy Church, makes complaint, saying, / looked for comforters, but I found none. Since Ps. 69, then only does she * find a comforter,' when from that death which her husband underwent, she beholds many within herself arise to life. Now very often the preacher of error is allied with the rich of this world, who for this reason, that they strain over earthly employments, are too blind to detect the crafty tricks of the things delivered, and whereas they go about to be powerful without, they are taken without 282 The niiyltty takot in. Had men believe not their ottn life. Job 24, labour by the noose of froward preaching.

Hence too it is '— added ; Moral. ^^ , , .,.,.., Ver. 22. He took auay the mighty m his migiit. iv. 6. Since in the might of his wickedness the mighty he severally takes away, whilst by the craftiness of bis error he carries off the great ones of this world. In opposition to 1 Cor. 1, whom it is said by Paul, God hath chosen the weak thinys of the world to confound the thinys that are miglity. Now the ' might' of the corrupt preacher is the high-flown science of his speaking, puffed up with which he despises all the rest of the world, and in contempt of all men, as being ]3reeminently proficient in himself, he swells big. Who whilst thinking what is great of himself, and not knowing what is true of God, is parted far from knowledge of the faith, and yet endeavours to make himself appear a preacher thereof. Whence it is further added ; And when lie standeth, he will not believe his life. V. 7. Every evil preacher ' standeth' in this world, so long as he lives in an earthly body. But he refuses to * believe his life,' because he is too proud to open his eyes to what is true relating to God. For he would ' believe his life,* if he had right notions concerning the Substance of his Creator. These things, then, we were describing above as spoken of every bad man, but we suddenly made the meaning turn to the preacher of error.

Whence it is to be noted, that we are so drawn on to the special case as not yet in any wise to be quite taken off from the general. For every bad man, even if he seem to maintain the faith in the bosom of the Church Universal, ' standeth and believeth not his life,' because they are right things indeed which by faith he understands of his Creator, yet the works of faith he carts not to maintain; and he is convicted of unbelief, in that, even from that which he sets forth as his creed, by his way of 1 John living he is condemned. For hence it is said by John, He ' ' that saith he knowetlt God, and keepetJt not His commandTit. 1, ments,isa liar. Hence Paul sailh, 7 hey profess that they know God, but in, -works they deny Him. Hence James Jam. 2, saith, Faith without norks is dead. But amidst all this the Creator by a wonderful economy of counsel at once has an eye to offences, and bestows periods of living, that the Lengthened life given for repentance or condemnation. '2SS lengthened portions of temporal life may to the person either Book being converted be turned into the furtherance of reward, or not being converted to the heightening of condemnation. Hence it is yet further subjoined, Ver. 23. God hath given unto him room for repentance, and he abuseth it in pride.

Whosoever commits sin and lives, such a person Divine Appointment for this reason bears with in iniquity, that it may withhold him from iniquity. But he that is borne with for a longer time, and yet is not withholden from iniquity, is vouchsafed indeed the benefit of the patience Above, yet with the chains of his guilt is by that very benefit binding himself the tighter. For because the times of repentance vouchsafed he diverts to sin, the strict Judge in the end converts the instances of mercy bestowed into punishment. Hence it is said by Paul ; Or kuowest thou not that ^^^' 2, the longsuffering of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thg hardness and impenitent heart treamrest up unto thyself wrath against the dag of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Hence Isaiah saith, For the Is. Q^-, child shall die an hundred years old, hut the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. As though he deterred us in plain words, saying, ' The life of a child indeed is drawn to a great length, in order that he may be corrected of childish doings, but if he be not even by length of time restrained from the commission of sin, this very length of life, which he received in pitifulness, is made to grow to him into an aggravation of cursing.' Whence it is necessary that the longer time that we see ourselves to be waited for, we fear the very seasons of pitifulness before granted' 'praeroas the grounds of condemnation, lest by the clemency ^^^* of the Judge the punishment of the sinner should be heightened, and by the same means whereby any one might have been rescued from death, he should tend to death in a manner the more disastrous.

Which is for this reason very often brought to pass, because the eye of the mind is not in the least degree weaned from things present. For the sinner is careless to regard the ways of the Redeemer, and so he grows old in his own paths without stopping. Hence it is added ; 284 Worldly men hilenl on fhctr ou')t iraijs, not tJiose of God. Job 24, For his eyes are upon his ways.

For the sinner * regards his own ways,' because he sets Moral, h^^self to mind only, to have an eye only for, things which may stand him in stead for temporal advantage. Thus it is Phil. 2, hence Paul saith, All seek their own, not the thinqfi wJiich are Jesus Chrisfs. For the way of the highminded is pride; the way of the robber, avarice; the way of the lecherous, carnal concupiscence. Thus every bad man bends his eyes down on his own ways, in that he is intent on vicious pursuits alone, that by these he may satisfy his mind. Whence it is said by Solomon, The eyes of a fool are in tlie ends of the earth ; because that only they regard with the whole bent of the heart, whereby they may attain to the end of earthly desire. Now the sinner would never fix the gaze of his looking on earth, if he lifted up the eyes of the mind to the holy paths of his Redeemer. Whence it is again said Eccl.2, by Solomon, Tlie wise manh eyes are in his head; in this way, viz. that with undivided intentness the wise man regards Him, of Whom he reflects by faith that he is a member. For these ways of man's walk and conversation, he had Ps. 119, deemed it little worth to have in his eye, who said, I will ^^' meditate in Thy statutes, and have respect unto Thy nays.

As if he gave his word in plain terms, saying, ' The tilings which are mine own I henceforth eschew the seeing of, in that by the path of the imitating of Thee I burn to go on in the steps of behaviour.' For he who henceforth withstands the present world, by the continual inciting of love presents the ways of his Redeemer to the eyes of the heart, that so the mind may eschew what is prosperous, be in readiness for what is adverse, desire nought that soothes down, dread nought that is supposed to dismay, account sorrow joy, estimate the delights of the present life as the ills of w^oe, not fear the diminutions of a state of scorn, but thereby seek room for enduring glory. For these ways Truth shewed to the eyes of those that were following Him, when He said, Jobni2, jj^ fji^y ffian serve Me, let him follow Me. To these ways he recalled the swelling hearts of the Disciples, when they were already seeking room for glory, but knew not the pathway of that glory, saying, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I sliall drink of? For they had been seeking the Tlieir high estate J'oiwd shortlived at its end. 285 height of that session with Him on the right hand and on the Hook left hand, but how great the narrowness of the pathway ' thereunto they did not see;

and hence the cup of the Passion is at once presented to their eyes as a thing for them to imitate, that, surely, if they were maldng for the joys of exaltedness, they should first find the way of humility. And therefore because the sinner is careless to have an eye to the ways of God, but is bent on those only wherein he may be made to delight in a carnal manner, it is rightly said in this place. For Iris eyes are upon his ways. It proceeds ; Ver. 24. They are exalted for a Utile while, but they shall not hold on.

The glory of bad men, whilst it is for the most part extended into a multitude of years, is by the minds of the weak reckoned to be long and as it were stable; but when an instantaneous end cuts it off, surely it proves to its face that it was short, because the end by putting a limit makes it known that that which was capable of passing away was little. And so ' they are exalted for a little while, and do not hold on,' because from the mere circumstance that they seek to appear high, they are by self-exalting made far removed from the true essence of God. For they are not able to hold on, because they are severed from the solid basis of the Eternal Essence, and they undergo this first ruining, that by glorying in self they fall in themselves. For hence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou castcdst them down, when they ivere lifted^'^' 73, up ; because they are brought down within, in proportion as they arise vvrongly without. Regarding this shortness of temporal glory, he saith again; / have seen the wicked above Ps. ^1, measure exalted, and lijted up like a cedar of Libanus; I passed by, and lo, he was gone. Hence again he saith, jPor ib. lo. yet a little while, and the ivicked shall not be. Hence James says. For what is your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time.

Hence the Prophet reflecting on the shortness of carnal glory, tells it forth, saying, Allls.40, flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower ' of hay. For the power of the wicked is likened to the ' flower of hay,' because the glory of the flesh, whilst it shines bright, it falls, whilst it is exalted in itself, cut off by a sudden end it is brought to a close. For in the same way by 286 Bad metis glory rujts to (in end as other earthly thinys. Job 24, tlio blowing of breezes the stubble is caught on high, but by ~ — '— an instantaneous flill it is brought back to earth Vjelow. Moral. . , " Thus the smoke is lifted up to the clouds, but suddenly whilst swelling out it is scattered to nought. Thus the vapour from beneath thickening lifts itself on high, Vjut the ray of the sun when risen clears it away, as though it had not been. Thus on the surface of the herbs the moisture of the dew of night is sprinkled, but by the sudden heat of the light of day it is dried away. Thus the foamy bubbles of water, raised on showers beginning, come forth racing from within, but being burst asunder they come to nought the more quickly in proportion as being inflated they are raised higher, and when they grow to a head, so as to appear, in growing they make it that they should ' not hold on.' Therefore concerning the wicked that are swoln with the exaltation of temporal glory, and yet not enduring with any stedfastness in this glory, let it be rightly said, they are exalted Jor a little ?ihile, bid they shall not hold on.

Of whom it is yet further added; And they shall be brought low as all thinys, and shall be taken away. ix. 11. Such should be the advancement of contemplation, that it should be carried off from few things to the taking a view of many, from many to taking a view of all things, so that being led forth step by step it should advance, and whilst judging all things transitory should by comprehending itself grow forth well nigh incomprehensibly. Hence the holy man, whilst he was sifting the glory and the failing of the wicked, stretched to * all things' presently the eye of the mind, saying, they shall be brought low as all things, and shall be taken away; * all things' earthly assuredly. As though he said in plain words; ' They cannot any way stand, because the very things flee away as well whereon they rest for support, and while they are in love with things temporal, along with these by the currency of time they inin to an end.' But it may be asked, whereas it is said by Eccl. 1, Solomon, One generation passeth away, and another generation Cometh; but the earth abidcth for ever; why does blessed Job declare that * all things are brought low, and taken away ?' Yet this we easily sift out, if we keep distinct The essence of thiiujs abides, t heir forms pass aicay. 287 how earth and heaven either pass away or remain.

For ^^°'f both these in respect of that figure whicli they now have pass away, yet in respect of their essence they are held in being without end. Hence it is said by Paul, For #/jeiCor.7, fashion of this iiwrld passeth away. Hence Truth saith by Itself, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words ^^^-'^'^^ shall not pass away. Hence it is told John by the voice of the Anj»el, There shall be a new heaven and a new earth.^^"^-^^) Which indeed are not to be created other things, but these very same are renewed. And thus heaven and earth at once * pass away' and ' shall be,' seeing that both by fire i'rom that fashion which they now have they are clean wiped out, and yet in their own nature are ever preserved. Hence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou shall change them, and they Ps. 102, shall be changed. Which same final changing of themselves they do now announce to us by those very successions, wherel;y for our services they unceasingly shift about. For the earth by the dryness of winter falls off from its fashion, by the moisture of spring it is made green. Heaven is every day overlaid by the darkness of night, and renewed by the brightness of day. Hence, then, hence let every believer gather that these things both perish, and yet by renewal are restored, which it is plain are now perpetually as it were from decay being refitted.

In the midst of all this then the holy man, whilst he beholds the course of the wicked, makes it known with what a visitation they are one day to come to nought, when lie forthwith adds; And as the tops of ears of corn they shall be crushed. i 12. For the tops of the ears of corn are the beards; now x. ^.ihe beards come out joined in an ear of corn, but going on growing little by little they are separated from one another bristly and rougli. Thus, verily, ihus, as to this world's glory do the evil-minded rich ones rise up. For by a fellowship of nature they are joined to one another, but going on increasing they are in turn divided against one another. For one looks down upon another, and a second is inflamed against a third with the torches of envy ; they then who by the swelling of the mind separate themselves from the unity of charity, as it were after the way of beards stand bristling against one another. What then might I have called the evilminded 288 Bad men bealcn out as heardHj'rorn the (/rain hi Judt/iuent. Job '24, nc]i ones of this world l)iit a kind of beards of the human - — '— race, who while they are lifted high against one another, but with one consent press hard U])on the life of the good, are indeed divided against themselves, yet with one accord bear down the grains beneath.

At this present time then the beards s])ring up on high, the grains lie hidden; because both the power of lost sinners towers high, and the glory of the Elect does not appear. The one shew themselves off in the high estate of honours, the others lower themselves in humility. But the time of winnowing will arrive, which is calculated both to break the bristling of the beards, and not to bruise the solid grains. For then the pride of the wicked is broken in pieces, then the life of the Elect is shewn to view, with w-hat faultlessness it shines bright; in that while the unrighteous are undone, by this very crushing of the beard it is brought to pass that the grains should appear, which were holden out of sight; and when the beards are broken, the whiteness of the grains is made to appear, because upon the wicked falling into everlasting punishments, the righteousness of the Saints is manifested, with what truth it is shining white. Whence Matt. 3, too it is rightly said by John, Whose /an is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner : but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. So let blessed Job mark with what awful visitation the pride of bad men shall be broken, and comparing them to beards that perish, let him say, Like the tops of ears of corn they shall he crushed.

Surely because the bristling of the proud is broken by the stress of the final winnowing, whereas now looking down upon the life of the Elect it is lifted up. It proceeds; Ver. '25. And if it be not so now, who will convict me of having lied, and set my words before God? xi. 14. If it be not so as he tells, then surely all people are able to convict him of falsehood. Why then is it said, And if it be not so now, who will convict me of having lied ? i, e. whilst we know that, one who is false, it is allowed any one to find fault with ? But if we sift out the sense of the speaker with exact questioning, how right the things are that he put forth, we speedily discover. For the righteous The proud ynay not judije the words oj the Ri(/hteoffs. 289 man, though he does ever speak any thing wrong, yet it is Book far from meet that he should be judged by the unrighteous ' and ill living. Whence the holy man lowering the pride of his friends, not even if it be so, but even * if it be not so' as he set forth, is confident that he can never be found fault with, because assuredly those are able rightly to reprove things that are false, who are not taught to do things that are false.

For the daring of reproof against deceit those persons lose, who still live on principles of deceit. Therefore he says, And if it he not so now, who loill convict me of having liedf As if he said in plain words; * All things are so as I have set forth, but if they were not so, T could not a whit be charged home with them by you; for whilst ye still give way to your own deceit, ye are not able to find fault with the deceit of another.'

In which place it is fitly added ; And to set my words before God. For whoever really finds fault with false sayings in the true way, in thinking on the things he has heard and estimating them by the rule of truth ' sets words before God,' because to himself in the eye of Truth he makes proof what he should outwardly decree against falsehood. Since * to set words before God' is with the interior Judge kept in view to estimate the exterior sayings. Thus the holy man does not reckon it possible for his ' words to be set before God' by friends behaving with pride. As if he said in plain terms, * The things which I utter ye are for this reason unable to set before the Judge, because by committing sin ye hide His face from you ?' Which same, however, nothing hinders from being understood in type of Holy Church as well, which whilst for her weak members she is found fault with by the scofiing of heretics, laughs to scorn that same craftiness of their scoffing, because with God it is more tolerable that a man should be prostrated in weakness and in ignorance, in conjunction with humility, than that he should compass high themes with self-exaltation. But forasmuch as the holy man had uttered many words against those, who by transitory power are made proud, and with windy honours swell themselves out; by his rebuke Bildad the Shuhite gaining ground has his eyes opened to see with Whom true power is deposited ; saying, VOL. II. u Lit. •290 Peace among Anyels that ivork seeming contraries. Job 26, Ver. 2. Dominio7i and fear are with Him; Who make th ' peace in His high places.

As though he expressed himself in plain words; * He only truly terrifies the hearts of mortals, Who by the power of His Divine nature truly possesses these.' For what terror does the power of man infuse, which knows not when it may lack the right of that power ? Now it is rightly said, He maketh peace in His high places. Because there are many things at variance with themselves below, but they run ansvverably to the harmonious fulness of things above, and by the causing of the interior peace it is brought to pass, that oftentimes the things that are without, are ordered without peace. Thus the good. Almighty God is advancing to merit, when He permits the bad to rage against their life ; and things above are made to fit together in harmony, whilst those below are thrown into confusion ; because in the heavenly world He joins His Elect to the choirs of the Angels by the same means, whereby in the earthly and lowest scene of things, He bears the practices of lost sinners opposing His behests.

But herein it is of interest to us to enquire, if the highest peace is maintained ' in the high places,' what that is Dan. 10, which is said to Daniel by the Angel, / am come for thy words; but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Blichael, one of the chief y. 20. princes, came to help me. And a little afterward ; And now a ill I return to fight with the prince of the Persians. For when I was going forth there appeared the prince of the Greeks coming. Whom else then but Angels does he call the ' princes' of the nations, that could have had the power to resist him as he went forth ? Accordingly what peace can there be ' in the high places,' if even among the Angelical spirits themselves also there is a conflict of warring earned on, who are always standing present to the view of Truth ? But because there are fixed charges of the Angels set to superintend the regulating of the several particular nations, when the practices of the subject peoples deserve the assistance of the presiding spirits against one another, the spirits themselves that are set in charge are said to come against one another. Thus the Angel that spake to Daniel is known Presidi7i(/ Anijeh help nations as they deserve. 291 to have been appointed over the captives of the Israelitish Book .

. • XVII People established in Persia, but Michael is ascertained to ' be the ruler of those who remained in the land of Judaea from among the same people. And hence it is said a little afterwards to Daniel by this same Angel ; A}id there is none v. 21. that holdeth with me in these things, hut Micliael, your prince. Concerning whom he says this too which we have before said, hut, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Who whereas he is never said ' to be with,' but to ' come to help,' is plainly seen to be set over that people which was held captive in another part. What then is it for the Angel to say, I am come for thy words, hut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me, but to tell his doings to those under him ? As if he said in plain terms ; ' The claims^ of thy prayers indeed demand that the Israelitish ** merita People should be loosed from the yoke of their captivity, but there is still in that same people that which must be purged by the dominion of the Persians ; so that touching the liberation of that people the prince of Persia should by rights withstand me, though to thy prayers the tears of those too who were left in Judaea come in aid.' Whence he subjoins that too which we said ;

But, lo, Michael, your prince, came to help me. And when he goes forth in order to fight against the prince of the Persians, there appeareth to him the prince of the Greeks coming towards him. By which circumstance it is implied that against the Greeks too Judaea had been guilty of somewhat, on account of whom without a doubt it was that he withstood the rescuing of her. So the Angel hears effectually the prayers of the Prophet, but the prince of Persia withstands, because though the life of the righteous one making supplication already claims the rescue of the People, yet the life of that same People still withstands, that whereas those that had been brought into captivity were not yet completely purified, Persia should rightfully have the dominion over them still. Michael gives aid, but the prince of Greece comes to battle, because that lengthened captivity of the People suffering oppression might indeed have merited pardon, but to the benefit of their liberation that also stood opposed, which they had done wrong against the Greeks. Therefore it is I rightly said that the Angels come against each other, because u 2 29*2 Anyels can be numbered by God, not by man. Job 25, the claims of the nations under them arc reciprocally at odds „_l: — with one another. For the lofty Spirits that are princes to those nations never fight in behalf of those that act unjustly, but justly judge and try their deeds.

And when either the guilt or guiltlessness of each separate nation is brought into the debate of the Court Above, the ruling Spirit of that nation is said to have won in the conflict or not to have won; the one identical victory of all of whom, however, is the Supreme Will of their Maker above them, which Will whilst they ever have before their eyes, what they have not the power they have not the mind to obtain. Therefore it is well said, Who 7naketh peace in His higlt places. It follows ; Ver. 3. Is there any number of His soldiers'^ xiii. 18. In the cognizance of human reason there is not any number of the spirits above, in that it cannot tell how great is that concourse of the Invisible Host, whereof it is said by Dan. 7, Daniel, Thousand thousands ministered unto Him. and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The number of the citizens above is represented as infinite and definite, in order that that which relatively to God is capable of being numbered may be shewn relatively to man to be incapable of being numbered. Though it is one thing ' to stand before,' and another thing to ' minister to.' For those Powers stand before Him without a doubt, which never go forth for the communicating things to men. But those * minister to' Him, who come for discharging the offices of bearers of tidings ; yet these same beings also, by the act of contemplation, are not withdrawn from the interior world. And because they are more in number that ' minister' than those that preeminently ' stand before Him,' the number of those so ' standing in presence' is represented as being definite, but of those that * minister' as indefinite.

Now the Angelical spirits we rightly call 'the soldiers' of God, because we are not unaware that those war against the powers of the air, which same conflicts however they carry on not by labour but by authority ; for whatsoever thing, in acting against impure spirits, they desire for, by the aid of Him Who ruleth all things, they are equal to. So of this Luke 2, army when our King was born it is written, And suddenly there was with the anyel a multitude of the heavenly host. Man dark in himselt\ and unclean in his origin. '293 Unto which same heavenly^ host the number of the Elect of Book men too is joined, who by the lofty aspirations of the mind are set free from the bondage of an earthly conversation. Concerning whom it is said by Paul, No man that warreth eniangleth himself with the affairs of this life. Which same though now they be shewn few in number, yet in the invisible country they reign innumerably many, in that though by comparison with the evil-minded they are few, yet in the concourse of their assemblage they cannot be any way measured. But because the goodness of those soldiers is set firm not by their own powers, but by the inspiration of grace from Above, it is rightly added. And upon ivhom doth not His light arise ?

For ' the light' of God is preventing grace, which if it never arose of free gift in our heart, assuredly our mind would remain dim in the darkness of its sins. And hence it is added ; Ver. 4. Call a man he justijied being compared with God? or can he be found clean that is born of a woman ?

This verse is spoken above by blessed Job, and is now repeated in the upbraiding of him ; since every just man is just by illumination from God, not by comparison with God. For man's righteousness when compared with the Maker is unrighteousness, since, even although man had held fast in his own estate of creation, the creature could never be equalled to the Creator. To which creature howsoever, unto heavier burthens of deficiency, there accrued sin also, which the serpent by plotting brought in, and woman proving frail recommended. Hence now, forasmuch as man is born by the agency of woman who is made subject to sin, the frailty of the first guilt is inherited in the offspring; and because the branch of the human race was made rotten in the root, it does not hold up in the greenness of its creation. Hence it is rightly said now. Can a man he justified being compared with God ? or can he be found clean that is horn of a woman ? As if it were expressed in plain terms, ' Let not man entertain pride against his Creator, let him reflect whence he came hither, and understand what he is.' But observe, there are those that when by the gift of the Spirit they are holpen against the frailty of their flesh. 294 They thai shine on earth still not clean before G'od. Job 25, are made to erect themselves, gleam forth in virtues, yea, flash out in the marvels of miraculous signs as well, yet is there no man who may pass through life free from sin, so long as he bears upon him flesh of corruption.

Whence it is yet further added ; Ver. 5. Behold even to the moon, and it shinelh not; yea, the stars are not pure in His sight. xvi. 22. What is denoted by ^ the moon' but the whole Church together? what by ' the stars^ but the souls of the several persons that live rightly? who amidst the practices of wicked men, whilst they are conspicuous by rare virtues, as it were shine in the darkness of night Whence likewise it Phil. 2, is said by Paul to the disciples; Among wJtom ye shine like lights in the world. For that Holy Church is represented by the designation of ' the moon,' the Prophet bears witness, Hab. 3, saying, The sun ivas lifted up, and the moon stood in her order. For on ' the sun being lifted up, the moon is established in her order,' in that on our Lord ascending into the heavens, Holy Church is thereupon made strong in the authoritative function of preaching. And that by the title of * stars' the Elect are represented, Paul again informs us, 1 Cor. by saying. For one star differethfrom another star in glory, ' * So * the moon doth not shine, and the stars are not clean in His sight,' because rieither doth Holy Church by her own power shine forth in so many miracles, except the gifts of preventing grace fall in showers upon her, nor are the minds of the several persons that live rightly clean of the stains of sinful practices, if they be judged apart from pity;

because in the eyes of the strict Judge every single individual his own proneness to corruption doth pollute, unless the grace of One sparing day by day wipe this away. For the mind of the Elect strives to go forth to the liberty of righteousness, but is still bound and tied with the fetters of frailty, and it longs indeed perfectly to get the better of offences, but so long as it is fettered by the corruption of the flesh, it is tied with the chains thereof, ev^en when it would not be. Hence therefore let him collect with what a load of sins they are borne down, who neglect to war against the same, if not even they entirely get the better of evil doing, who strenuously fight against it. And hence it is said, Behold even to the moon, and it Carnal man rotlenness, a tvonn born o] corruption, 295 shineth not, a?id the stars are not pure in His sight; it is Book directly added; ' Ver. 6. How much more is man rottenness, and the son of man a xoorm ?

As if it were in plain words; ' If those very persons also cannot be void of contagion, who amidst the darkness of the present life shine bright by virtuous attainments, with what guilt of wickedness are they bound, who still live after the flesh? If those persons cannot be free from sin, who are already walking in the way of heavenly desires, what they who still lie under the loads of sinful habits? who whilst they are abandoned to the gratifications of their fleshly part, still bear the yoke of rottenness? Hence Peter saith; And if the i Pet. 4, righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and ' the sinner appear? Hence it is said by Isaiah, Upon the Ja. 32, land of My people shall come up thorns and briars; how ' much more upon all the houses of joy i?i the joyous city. For by * the land of His People,' the Lord meaneth the mind of all of the Elect. Upon which He tells of ' thorns and briars coming up;' because He sees that not even that very mind is free from the prickles of bad habits. But ' the house of joy in the joyous city' is the mind of the wicked, which whilst it neglects to regard the punishments that are destined to come, in the gratification of the flesh going away from itself, revels in empty mirth. Thus he saith; Upon the land of My people shall come up thorns and briars, how much more upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. As if He said in plain words; If evil habits sink low even the minds of those, who for desire of the heavenly country put themselves to pain, what guilty courses are they brought under, who without any apprehension abandon themselves in the gratification of the flesh ?

But it is a point to be noticed in his discourse how Bildad observed the order of our creation and of our birth, in that he calls * man' not ' a worm,' but * rottenness,' but * the son of man' * a worm.' For the first parent of the human race was * man,' not ' the son of man ;' from whom whosoever came forth, was not only ' man,' but ' the son of man' as well. As then from man springs the son of man, so from rottenness springs the worm. Whence man is rightly called 2i)6 Job' a slroiiyest point comes last. Job 26, * roltciuiess,' but the. son of niaii * a worm.' For the first ' '— man was * rottenness' not ' a worm,' in that though by death ho turned to * rottenness,' yet he did not come by a birth out of rottenness. But he that is the son of man is called ' a worm,' because he is henceforth propagated from the corruption of mortal bodies.

Therefore because the words of his friends are concluded, blessed Job sets on with a more penetrating acuteness of the suing, and his words are proportion ably strong as they are the last; seeing that even in the same way it is the usage of lawyers, that the argument, by which they beforehand see that they are above their adversaries, they reserve for the conclusion of the suit. It follows; C. xxvi. 1, 2. But Job answered a?id said, Of whom art thou the helper? whether of one that is powerless? or dost thou sustain the arm of him that is 7ioi strong? xviii. 26. To help one that is weak is an act of charity, to wish to help one that is powerful, of pride; and so because his friends, whilst bearing the likeness of heretics, on the plea of helping God, endeavoured to make a display of their own wisdom, Bildad is justly found fault with, that it should be said. Of whom art thou the helper? whether of one that is powerless? or dost thou sustain the arm of him that is not strong? As if he said in plain words; ' While thou settest thyself to help Him, under Whose greatness thou dost sink to the earth, all the encouragement which thou affordest comes of ostentation, not of piety.'

But herein it is requisite to be known, that even God, Who surely is not ' powerless,' we help whilst acting with I Cor. 3, humility. And hence it is said by Paul, For we are helpers of God. For when to him, whom He doth Himself by interior grace pervade, we by the voice of exhortation contribute, this which He through the Spirit brings to pass within, we outwardly by the office of the voice do assist, and then only is our exhortation brought to completion, when God was in '^* '^' the heart, to be aided. Hence He saith elsewhere; So then neither is he that planfeth any thing, neither he that loatereth; but God that giveth the increase. For to * plant' and ' water' is to * help,' both which will be but a void ministration, if in the heart God * giveth not the increase.' But they His frienda presumed in lakimj God^s part. 297 who have high thoughts olthuir own power of mind, will not Book be helpers of God with humility ; because whilst they reckon : * themselves to be of use to God, they are making themselves strangers to the fruit of usefulness. And hence it is said to the disciples by the voice of Truth, When ye shall /i«wLuke done all those things that are commanded you, say, IVe are ' unprofitable servants, we have done that ichich was our duty to do. It proceeds; Ver. 3. To whom hast thou given counsel^ perchance to him that hath not wisdom ?

To * give counsel to one that is foolish' is an office of charity, to give it to one that is wise, of ostentation ; but to give it to Wisdom Itself, of wrongmindedness; and because those who we have said bear the likeness of heretics, by their mode of speech, were administering to ostentation rather than to usefulness, it is yet further added rightly against Bildad, And shewn thine own prudence overmuch. To one to whom there is right prudence it is not overmuch, because according to Paul's declaration, he seeketh not to he wise above the degree that he ought to he wise. But to whomsoever there is overmuch prudence, there is not light prudenceFor whilst it is carried beyond due measure, it is made to turn off on one side or another of offence. Now they shew their prudence to be * overmuch,' who aim to appear fuller of prudence in comparison of others; whence it very frequently happens that whilst they have not the art to be wise in moderation, they even speak things that are foolish. On account of which circumstance, the actual excess of prudence is yet further subjoined, that it should be said, Ver. 4. Whom wonldest thou have taught ? Was it not Him Who made the breathway ?

By the ' breathway' we live, by prudence we are wise. But it is ours first to live, and afterwards to be imbued with wisdom; because in order that we have the power to be wise, it is first brought to pass that we should have being. He, then. Who bestowed life, the same doubtless gave prudence as well. But because Bildad thought blessed Job was scourged for sin, that secret judgment of God which he should have adored in humility, he set himself with over298 Proud spirils un(thle to rise up. Job 26, weening temerity to penetrate to the bottom. And so that — — ^ — very One he preferred himself before in respect of prudence, Whose judgment without understanding it he judged. That very One he preferred himself before in prudence, from Whom he received the breathway of life, as though he were wise more than He, the very Being from Whom he had it given it him that he should be. But because blessed Job whilst bearing a type of Holy Church delivered a few things in the rebuking of proud men, who, he was not ignorant, bore a likeness of heretics, according as he said above ; Job 13, / desire to reason with God ; Jirst shewing that ye are ' ' forgers of lies, and followers of wrong tenets ; he suddenly lifts himself up to instruction, and in opposition to the ignorance of the highminded, he opens wide the breadth of his knowledge in sentences, saying, Ver.

5. Lo, the giants groan, under the icaters. xxi. 30. For it was fitting that by rebuking he should first beat down the swelling of earthly wisdom, and by instruction afterwards pass on to words replete with mysteries. Thus by * giants,' either apostate Angels, or all proud men may without objection be understood. For hence it is said by Is. 26, the Prophet, The diead shall not live, the giants shall not ^' rise up again. For whom does he call * the dead' saving sinners, and whom does he designate ' giants' save those, who over and above take pride in sin. Now the former do ' not live,' because by sinning they have forfeited the life of righteousness; these latter too 'cannot rise up again' after death, because, after their transgression being swoln with pride, they do not have recourse to the remedies of penitence. Hence Prov it is written again. The man that wandereth out of the way ' 'of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. For whosoever forsakes the way of righteousness, to whose number does he join himself, saving to the number of the proud spirits \ Now it is well said in opposition to the high-minded, Lo, the giants groan under the waters* As if it were expressed in plain speech ; * Wherefore on the score of knowledge should man be proud, when the abyss of ignorance keeps at the bottom the very proudest of the spirits of the Angels ?'

But if by the name of ' the giants' the })0werful ones Earthly power hrings burdens and dangers. 299 of this world are denoted, in ' the waters' we may have the Book . . XVII multitudes represented, as John beareth witness, who saith, The waters, ivJiich thoa seest, are peoples. Now agamst Rev. 17, him that is filled with pride it is well spoken ; Lo, the giants groan under the waters; because all that are high and lifted up, while in this life they long to attain the highest pitch of honours, groan under the burthens of peoples. For in proportion as a man is the higher lifted up here, he is burthened with so much the heavier cares. And to those very same people in mind and thoughts he is put under, whom in dignity he is put over. And by these words it is well shewn in brief that all pride lies prostrate on the ground by the mere act by which it lifts itself up on high, so as to be the more effectually bowed down beneath all things from the same cause, that it would fain be set above all. For man when he is lifted up in high stations, bears so many in number over him, as he rules persons put beneath him. But those, that are associated with such persons, are by fellowship in their labour themselves also weighed to the ground. For together with them they likewise bear the toilsomeness of the burthen, whilst along with them they go after the gloriousness of the honour. Hence whereas he said, Lo, the giants groan under the waters ; he directly added ; And they that dicell along with them.

As though he said; ' Equally with them do they groan,' who by taking delight are associated to their glory. Now the very employment of worldly dignities is borne down with readier vices in proportion as it is charged with heavier cares. For would that the mind of man even at rest might be able to see and eschew sins ! And so because he saw that the longed for heights of affairs cannot be administered without sins, and because it is not hidden from the wrath of God, whatsoever is committed of an unlawful kind, he fitly subjoined in pursuance; Ver. 6. Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering.

Which same Paul likewise saith. But all tilings are naked and opened unto His eyes. But by the title of * hell' ^eb. 4, and ' perdition' he denoted the devil and all the associates of 300 God puis solid yood in the void where Satan dwelt. Job 26, his condemnation ; but Who that One is before whom ' liell j^— is naked,' he goes on with telling ; Ver. 7. He slretcheth out the north over the empty place, xxiv. 34. By the title of the ' north,' in Holy Writ the devil is used to be designated, who with the thought to bind up the hearts of the nations with the iciness of insensibility, said, Is. 14, J will sit also upon the mount of the Covenant, in t!ie sides of the north. And he is ' stretched over the empty place,' because he has possession of those hearts, that are not filled with the grace of the love of God. Yet is it competent to Almighty God, that even those vessels of the devil, empty of every virtue. He may fill with the gift of His grace, and deposit the solid substance of Divine fear in those persons, whom He does not see stablished by any conduct of righteousness. Hence it is fitly added ; And hangeth the earth upon nothing. XXV. f35. For what is denoted by the title of ^ earth,' saving Holy Church ;

who, whilst she receives the words of preaching, renders back the fruit of good works 1 Whereof it is Deut. said by Moses, Let the earth hear the words out of my lips, ' ' 'let my speech he looked for like the rain. And what but the several gentile peoples are denoted by ' nothing,' of whom it Is. 40, is spoken by the Prophet, All nations before Him aie as nothing, and they are counted to Him less than nothing. In that ' nothing,' then, is * the earth hung suspended,' which before, being a void place, was occupied by the ' north;' because those hearts of the Gentiles became filled with the love of God, which had been aforetime weighed down by a deadness of the devil. But it may be that both by this ' empty place,' the infidelity of Judsea is denoted, and by ' the earth,' as we said, the propagation of Holy Church. Thus let the holy man look at the fall of Juda3a in her perishing, and espy the privileges of the gentile world brought back to pardon, and let him say. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. For because the hearts of the Gentiles, being void of faith, were made subject to the devil, ' He stretched the north over the empty place;' and because, there being no Ps. 56, merits forthcoming, (as it is said.

For nothing shall Thou ^^^' save them,) upon the Gentiles the Lord founded His Church, He stays too ijrcatjloods of knowledge from the weak. 801 which same Gentiles are by the Prophet called ' nothing,' in Book pursuing the subject he rightly adds, And hangeth the earth — ^ u'pon nothing. Now in what order this thing was done, he continues in subjoining with wonderful method. For he saith, Ver. 8. He hindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, that they should not hurst forth alike beneath.

For what does he call ' the waters' in this place but knowledge ; what ' clouds' but the Preachers ? For that in Holy Writ * water' may sometimes be a term used for knowledge, we have been taught by Solomon bearing witness to it, who says. The words of a marCs mouth are as deep Prov. waters, and the ivell-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook, ' ' That, by water knowledge is denoted, the Prophet David bears witness, saying. Dark itater in clouds of the sky, i. e.Ps. 18, secret knowledge in the Prophets, who before the Advent of the Lord, whilst, pregnant with secret sacraments, they were bearing in them boundless mysteries, to the eyes of beholders had their meaning obscured. But by the name of ^ clouds,' what else is denoted in this passage but the holy Preachers, i. e. the Apostles, who being dispatched in every direction through the regions of the world, both knew how to shower in words, and to flash forth ^ in miracles? Whom the Prophet ^ corusIsaiah beholding long before, said. Who are these that fly Is.qo^q. as clouds ? Thus because this man, filled with the spirit of prophecy, in this utterance of his voice longs that for the praise of God the rise of Holy Church may commence, he betakes himself to tell the order of her rise from the preaching of the Apostles, who took the greatest pains to preach to uninstructed people what was plain and comprehensible, not what was high and arduous.

For holy knowledge, which is here set forth by the title of water, if in the same way that they drew it from the heart, so they poured it forth from the lips, by the immensity thereof they would overwhelm rather than water their hearers. Hence his knowledge being unbound within, that it should not burst forth alike beneath, in nourishing his hearers with the dropping of words, that ' cloud' spake, saying, And I brethren could not speak unto i Cor. you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes ' ' * in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not ivith meat. For who could have borne it if he that was caught uj) to the 302 Christ taught the weak not from earthy nor too far ojf . Job 26, third heaven, tliat was caught into paradise, even hearing -y:^ — unutterable words, which it was not permitted to man to Myst. ' i speak, had opened such unbounded depths of celestial knowledge? or what hearer's power would he not overwhelm, if all that he might have been able to draw within, as far as tongue of flesh may suffice, overflowing without the mighty flood of this water had poured forth ?

But that uninstructed hearers might be comforted not by an inundation of knowledge, but by the tempered dropping of preaching, God tietJt up the waters in the clouds, that they may not burst forth alike beneath. Because He tempers the preaching of the teachers, that so the infirmity of the hearers, being nourished by the dew of the things spoken, may be made strong. Which is well described in the Gospel by a mystical mode of representation, where it is Luke 6, said, Jesus entered into the boat of Peter, and prayed him /hat he would thrust out a little from the land ; and he sat down thus, and taught the people. By Peter's ship what else is denoted but the Church committed to Peter ? and that the Lord may preach to the crowds flocking together out of this ship, He orders it to be * thrust out a little from the land.' Which same he neither bids to be carried into the deep, and yet does bid that it be thrust out from the land, signifying, surely, that to uninstructed people His preachers ought not to preach either what is too deep relating to the heavenly world, nor yet what is earthly. And so * water is bound up in the clouds,' because the knowledge of the Preachers, speaking to the minds of the frail, is forbidden to teach as much as it is able to see.