Morals on the Book of Job (Moralia in Iob)

For it is requisite that when an adversary perishes we should minutely consider both what we owe to the destruction of the sinner, and what to the justice of the smiter. For when Almighty God smites any bad man, there must be sorrowing in unison with the wretchedness of the ruined, and rejoicing in unison with tlie justice of the Judge, so that both the punishment of our neighbour dying should be a sorrow to us, and again the equity exhibited by God in judging should be an occasion of joy, that so we may neither prove enemies to a man in his perishing, nor be found unthankful to God in His judging. And so because he perfectly trod down all feelings of hatred in opposition, let blessed Job say. If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me^ or lifted up myself when evil found him. Who, that is to say, in loving even his enemy, whereas he sympathized with an adversary when ruined, by that one's evil things was himself advanced to good, that this one should go on growing to loving-kindness by the same cause that the 568 Job, withoul Gospel instruction^ kept from cursing. Job 31, evil that lie deserved had found that other. But because ^ often there are persons who because they cannot with yjower, assail with cursing those whom they account enemies to themselves, in which persons it appears plain what evil things they would do if they could, who never cease to imprecate those which they cannot do, blessed Job exhibiting himself free from the sin of cursing as well, added, going on, Ver.

30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. xii. 25. For he would sin, if he were to desire that to be done by God, which he himself either could not at all be able to do, or if he could it would not be in any wise right. For they who assail an enemy with curses, what other thing do they wish God to do in his case, but what they are either unable or ashamed to do themselves ? For they wish death to their enemy, which same even if they have the power, they are afraid to bring upon him ; lest they should either be bound as guilty of murder committed, or shew themselves wicked even when they are. What then is it to say to God, * Kill the man whom I hate,' but to cry out to him in audible accents ; * Do Thou that to mine enemy, which it is not proper for me to do towards him even as a sinner.' In which same words it is to be thought where had this person Luke 6, read, Loi:e yonr enemies? where had he read. Bless, and '' curse not'^ and again. Not rendering evil for evil, nor 12, 14. railing for railing ? But the precepts of grace from above, iPet.3, j-,Q^ heard with the outward ears he observed, because the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote them in the heart of that man.

To whom however it would have been but little that he loved those adversaries situated without, excepting he had to bear these also living within, and holding daily converse with him, even those of his household, as adversaries. Whence he adds, Ver. 31. If the men of my tabernacle said not^ O that we had of his flesh, that ive might be satisfied! xiii. 26. Which same sentence may also be taken in mystery of ^^^'^' the voice of our Redeemer. For * the men of his tabernacle' longed to be ^ satisfied by his flesh,' i. e. whether the Jews in persecuting or the Gentiles in believing. For both the one set themselves as it were by consuming it to j)ut an end Household adversaries the sorest trial of patience. 569 to His Body, and the latter desire to satisfy their hungering Book soul with His flesh, by the daily sacriiice of His immolating. 'Hist But now following the gist of the history alone let us reflect \\'\\h what strenuousness the mind of the holy man, full of concern for all things, is divided within and without ; who to those acting unjustly had he either submitted in silence, or not withstood in righteous living, assuredly he would never have had them as adversaries. But hereby, that he kept the paths of life, he found hearty desires of his death. Adversaries he met with, shewing themselves outwardly, lurking inwardly.

Now it is inferior goodness in a conflict for a man to see without evils that he has to get the better of, and not to have within aught that he may have to bear. But it is the praise of perfect greatness to meet hostile treatment, w ilhout bravely, and within mercifully. For there are some things in the actual common dealing of those of a household, that cannot be corrected without sin in the corrector, and therefore when they either defile him who corrects them, or do not weigh heavily on him who does them, with a great skill of tutoring they require to be winked at, and by this very winking to be borne with, which same when put upon ourselves are the more quickly dismissed from our hearts, if we know our own misdemeanours against our neighbours. Whence it is well said too by Solomon; Take no heed to a//Eccles. words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse'' thee: for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself also hast cursed others. For whilst we reflect what we have been towards others, we are the less concerned that others should have proved such persons towards ourselves, because the injustice of another avenges in us what our conscience justly accuses in self. It proceeds; Ver. 3*2. The stranger did not lodge in the street ; but my door was open to the traveller. '27.

Whereas, Paul being witness, charily is described as patient and kind, by patience it bears with composure the ill turns of others, by kindness it also renders with mercifulness its own good ones. Whence blessed Job at once patiently bore those of his own household cursing him, and received to him kindly the travellers and strangers, to the first affording examples of morals, the other meeting with the 570 Gijia not accepted from a aoul dejiled wilh sin* Job 31, succour of external things. For the lioly man viewing by the — g^^ — Spirit of prophecy the Redeemer of mankind, also kept his pardoning words in practice, whereby He warns us, saying, Luke 6 -^<?^ ^0, and it shall be let go to you ; give, and it shall be ^^' given unto you. For our giving relates to the things which we have outwardly, but our letting go to the dismissing the grief, which we have inwardly contracted by the offence of another. But it requires to be known, that he who ' lets go' but does not * give,' though he has not done to the full, yet has observed the better part of mercifulness. But he who ' gives' but never ' lets go' does not execute mercy at all ; because by Almighty God the gift is not accepted from the hand, which is proffered by a heart tied and bound in wickedness.

For there is need for the soul that offers alms first to be made clean, because every thing that is given to God is reckoned according to the feeling of him who gives it. Therefore every stain of evil must be wiped clean from our interior man by the changing of the thought, because the offering has it not to appease the wrath of the Judge, except it be acceptable by the purity of him who offers it. Whence Gen. 4, it is written ; And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offerings ; but unto Cain and to his offerings He had not respect. For it is not that sacred Revelation says that ' He had respect to the offerings of Abel, but to the offerings of Cain He had not respect;' but he first says, that He had respect to Abel, and afterwards subjoined. And to his offerings. And again he says that to Cain He had not respect, and next added, fior to his offerings. For according to the heart of the giver is the thing that is given received. Therefore not Abel by virtue of his offerings, but by virtue of Abel the gifts offered were well pleasing. For it is read that the Lord had regard first to the person who gave, before the things which he gave. Hence blessed Job going on to tell us his bountifulness in the boon of hospitality did right in bringing forward first his patience and kindness towards enemies, how that he did not ' exult in the destruction of his enemy;' that he did not ' assail his persecutors with words of cursing;' that those enraged against him within, he bore wilh equanimity ;

and then at last he brought forward the bountifulHiylt, repute tempts men to conceal their faults. 571 ness of his hospitality, that, namely, by the order of his relaBook tion being listened to, we might learn that exterior gifts are 'seasoned by the interior pureness of the heart, that the combination of his virtues might teach the reader what sort of person he ought to be in himself, when he administers external good to others. •29. But who would not account himself to be a holy man in the midst of such heights of his virtues ? Who would not be in some measure tempted by his mere merits alone being so many in number, so that if at any time as being but man he went wrong, he would not have his transgression made known to men; and would account it as trivial if he did any thing wrong in lesser things; and would rather prefer to cover his offence by silence than disclose it by the voice of confession ? For it often comes to pass that the mind being lifted up by virtuous attainments, when it knows that many good things are scattered abroad concerning it in the esteem of neighbours, does not wish it to be known, if there is any thing that it does deserving of blame. Which same darkness of mistaking the mind is for this reason exposed to, because high-swelling clogs the eye of the heart. Hence blessed Job, in the midst of so many distinguished achievements in virtues, who became so lofty in practice, in order to shew how lowly in mind he was, added directly ; If I covered iny transgression as man, and did hide mine iniquity in my bosom.

For these are the proofs of true humility, both for a man to ascertain his own wickedness, and on being ascertained to discover it by the voice of confession; but on the contrary it is the accustomed evil practice of man's race, at once to commit sin keeping himself hidden from sight, and when committed to hide it by denying, and when brought home to him, to multiply it by standing up for it. For from that fall of the first man we draw these accessions of wickedness, from which we also draw the very original of sin. For thus he, when he had touched the forbidden tree, hid himself from the face of the Lord amidst the trees of Paradise. In which hiding, because surely he could not escape the eye of God, it is not the effecting of self-concealing that is related, but the affecting thereof is betokened. Who when he was charged 572 Adam\ sin made worse by self-exc using. Job 31, by the Lord, how that he had touched of the forbidden tree, 1— thereupon answered ; Tlie woman rthom Thou gavest to he Gen. 3, with me, she gave me of the tree^ and I did eat. The woman '^* likewise on being asked, answered, saying, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. For to this end they were enquired of, that the sin, which by transgressing they had been guilty of, they might by confessing wipe out.

Whence too the serpent, that prompter, inasmuch as he was not to be brought back to pardon, was not asked concerning the sin. Thus man was asked the question * where he was,' that he might review the offence committed, and by confessing it take knowledge how far he had departed from the face of his Creator. But both preferred to take to themselves the cordials of defence rather than of confession. And whilst the man was minded to palliate the sin through the woman, and the woman through the serpent, they added to the sin, which they endeavoured to vindicate ; Adam by indirectly glancing at the Lord, how that He had Himself proved the author of their sin, in that He had made the woman ; and Eve in referring the sin to the Lord, Who had placed the serpent in Paradise. For they who had heard from the mouth of the devil deceiving V. 5. them, Ye shall be as Gods; because they were not able to be like to God in Godhead, for the heightening of their error endeavoured to make God like to themselves in transgression. In this way then, whilst they set themselves to defend their guilt, they made the addition that the sin should be rendered more heinous when examined, than it had been when committed.

Hence now also the branches of the human race derive bitterness still from this root, so that when a man is charged home for the evil in him, he hides himself under words of self-defence, as under a kind of leaves of trees, and as it were flies the face of his Creator to a kind of darkened retreats of self-exculpation, whereas he has no mind to have that known that he has been guilty of. By which same concealment he has not hidden himself from the Lord, but the Lord from himself. For he manages that he should not see Him Who sees all things, not that he himself should not be seen. Contrarily to every sinner the first step now of enlightenment is the humility of confessing, in that he now Marly raised frotn death in sin ,^ comes forth' by confession. 573 refuses to spare liimself, who does not blush lo avow the evil Book that he has done, and he who by dcfeiKling himself might ^ have been laid open to be accused, by accusing himself defends himself most quickly. And hence to dead Lazarus, who was kept down by a great weight, it is not said, ' Be thou restored to life ;' but, Come forth, by which same rising Johnii, again, which was carried on in the body of that man, it is signified in what way we ourselves rise again in the heart, i.

e. when it is said to the dead man, Come forth ; that is to say, that man being dead in his sin, and through the mass of bad habit already buried, because he lies hidden from sight within his own conscience by wickedness, should go forth from himself without by confession. For to the dead man it is said. Come forth, that from the excusing and concealing of sin he may be called forth to come out to the accusing of himself with his own lips. Whence David the Prophet, in coming to life from that death of his great guilt, as it were went forth at the voice of the Lord, when being rebuked by Nathan he brought accusation of what he had done

Therefore because this sin of concealing grew to a dreadful excess in the human race, blessed Job, when he was saying, //' / corered my transgression, rightly inserted the words as man, because he sees that to be proper to man, which descends by the copying of our old parent. Whence it is fitly subjoined; And did hide mine iniquity in w?/j bosom. For sacred Scripture is very often used to put the ^ bosom' for the mind; as where in the voice of Holy Church it is said by the Psalmist of our persecutors, who are joined to us indeed in nature, but disjoined in life. And render nnto^s. 79, our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom. As though he said in plain speech ; ' Let them receive that in their minds, which in raging against us they practise over our bodies, that whereas they punish us outwardly in part, they may themselves be punished inwardly to a complete degree.' And so because the * bosom' is interpreted the privacy of the mind, to ' conceal iniquity in the bosom' is to hide it in the recesses of the conscience, nor to uncover it by confession, but to veil it by defence. Contrarily James says. Confess ^^mes your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ' ye mau be saved. Solomon also says, He that covereth his Prov. -^ ^ -^ ' 28, 13. 574 Job confessed faults even hefore adversaries. Job 31, sins shall not prosper, hut whoso confesseth and forsake th -TT * them shall have mercy.

But herein it is necessary to be known that men very often both confess their sins and are not humble. For we know many who when no man charges them confess that they are sinners, but when perhaps they are rebuked for their j sin, they seek the support of defence that they may not seem to be sinners; which persons, if, when they say the thing of their own accord, they did then with genuine humiUty see themselves to be sinners, when they are charged home by others would never deny that they are what they had con- ! fessed. In which case the tokens of true confession are, if when a man calls himself a sinner, he does not contradict another as well advancing that about him. For because it Prov. is written, 77?^ just man in the beginning is the accuser of ' ' himself; he does not rather aim to appear a sinner, but a just man, when any one confesses himself a sinner, no man charging him. But when another inveighs against the evil that we have done, he proves the truth of confession. Which same if we defend in a proud spirit, it is clear that it is feignedly that of ourselves we called ourselves sinners. Whence it is above every thing to be taken care of that the evil things we have done, we both confess of our own accord, and do not deny them when others charge us home with them. For it is the evil of pride that the thing which a man as if by his own act deems it meet to confess about himself, this he should disdain to have said to him by others.

Thus blessed Job shewed what singular humility he was of, in that he both knew that he was living amongst adversaries, and yet was not afraid to disclose his offences with the voice of confession. But observe that above he tells his virtuous qualities, lower down he confesses his sin. For hence he clearly proves what truth he had spoken of the good in him, in tliat he would not hold his tongue concerning the evil. One while he points out his virtues, at another time transgressions; that he had both committed sin, and had not kept it silent, he makes plain. Whence it appears without all doubt what extraordinary purity he was of in tlie sight of Almighty God, who both avoided evil things that he should not commit them, and yet what things it did chance His humilitij in confessing equals his very virtues. 575 to him to commit he did not conceal from men ; so that to Boorr him there should at once be the high credit of righteousness^^ 'to have shunned sin, and the safe keeping of righteousness to have brought to light what he was not able to shun. Let this man seem to any one great in his virtues, to me without doubt he appears most grand even in his sins. Let those, who are so minded, admire in him the self-control of chastity, let them admire the faithfulness of justice, let them admire the bowels of pitifulness ;

I do not less admire in him the humblest confession of sins, than such lordly achievements of virtue. For I know well that through the shame of infirmity it is generally a worse conflict, to bring to light the sins we have committed, than it is to avoid them not being committed, and each instance of evil, though it may be avoided with more vigorousness, is yet brought to view with greater humility. Thus blessed Job, who whilst supported by so many great practices was not ashamed to confess his sin, shewed in the midst of his virtues, how humble he was. But because from true humility there ever springs secure authority, so that the soul should dread nothing without, in proportion as by the longing of selfelation it does not pant after the topmost height of affairs, the confession of sin having been set forth, it is rightly subjoined ; Ver. 34. Did I fear a great miilfifude, or did the contempt 0/ neighbours terrify 7ne, and I did not rather keep silence, and went not out of the door?

It is great assuredness of heart to have nought of worldly concupiscence. For if the heart pants after attaining earthly things, it can never be secure and tranquil, because either things not possessed it desires, in order that it may possess them, or things obtained it is afraid for lest it should lose them, and whilst in adverse circumstances he dreads prosperous ones, so in prosperous circumstances he dreads such as are adverse, and he is tossed hither and thither as it were by a kind of waves, and is hurried about in various fashions by the changeableness of shifting affairs. But if once the mind is fixed with strong stcdfastness in the longing after the Country Above, it is less distressed by the annoyance of earthly things. For from all outward com576 A soiiljixed above minda not troubles below. Job 31, motions it seeks that its aim, like a kind of most secret — ^^il_ retreat, and there attaching itself to the Unchanf^eable% and Hist mounting above all changeable things, by the mere calmness of its repose, while in the world, it is henceforth without the world. It goes beyond all things below by its stressing after the highest, and all the objects which it does not go after it feels itself by a certain liberty to get above, nor within is it subject to the tempest of things temporal, which it views without, for all earthly things which being longed after might have borne down the mind, being looked down upon Jer.

3i,lie beneath it. Whence it is well said by the Prophet, Set ^^' a look out for thyself; that whilst a man views things above, he may rise high above things beneath. Hence likewise Hab. 2, Habakkuk says, / will stand upon my watch. For he ' stands upon his watch,' who by wise policy of discipline, does not bow down beneath, but rises high above earthly desires, that while he aims at Eternity, which is ever stedfast, he should have beneath his feet every thing that passes by.

Yet because with whatever goodness the holy man has advanced, the infirmity of the flesh still outwardly bears Ps.39,6. him down whilst set in this life, as it is written, ThougJt man walk in the image of God^ yet he is disquieted in vain: it very often takes place that he is at once disquieted without, and holds on not subject to disquietude within, and that he is liable to be ' disquieted in vain' comes from the infirmity of the flesh, though that he ' walks in the image of God' is from the excellency of the mind, in order that he should both be inwardly strengthened by the Divine aid, and yet be still pressed down without by the human burthen. Whence Habakkuk again has well delivered a single sentence serving Hab. 3, for both particulars. For he says. And trembling entered J ; into my bo?tes, and my power ^ was disquieted underneath me. As though he said; ' It is not my power, wherein being transported above, I remain free from liability to disquietude, but it is my own power wherein I am disquieted below.' And so the same is free from disquietude above himself, and the same exposed to disquietude below himself; because he had mountt^d above himself, in so far as he was '^ al. ' Unchangeably attached,' wliich liowcver would be a hyperbolical xpression. Man calm ichen above himself, unquiet below. 577 caudit awav to things on hidi;

and he was beneath Book himself, in so far as he still dragged a remains into that-^-^^— which is below. The same above himself is free from liability to disquietude, because he had now passed away into the contemplation of God: the same under himself is liable to be disquieted, because beneath himself he still remained a frail human being. The Prophet David according with this sentence saith ; / said in the excess of mijFs.iiG, mind, All men are liars. To whom the answer may be * made ; ' If every man, then thou too ; and the sentence will henceforth be false, which thou being a liar hast uttered, because whilst thou art true-spoken, every man is not found out a liar.' But observe that it is prefaced, / said in the excess of my mind. And so by * excess of the mind' he transcended himself even, when he determined about the character of man. As though he said in plain speech ; ^ I delivered a true sentence respecting the falseness of all men from the same cause, whereby I was myself above man ;' being now so far himself a ' liar' as far as he was himself man, but so far altogether not a ' liar,' as ' by excess of the mind' he was above man.

Thus, therefore, thus all the perfect, though they are still subject to something disquieting from the infirmity of the flesh, yet already enjoy within the calmest privacy by the contemplation of the mind, so that whatsoever thing happens without, it should in nought disquiet them within. Whence blessed Job, exhibiting the security of a holy mind, after he had delivered so many announcements of the parts of virtue with reference to himself, following that which we have set before, added ; Jf T feared at an exceeding great multitude, or the contempt of neighbours terrified me, and I did not rather keep silence, and loent not out of the door. As though he said in a plainer manner ; ' While others were disquieted against me without, I myself remained in mine own self free from being disquieted within.' For what else ought we in this place to take ' the door' to be, but the mouth ? For by this we as it were go forth, when with what words we are able, we disclose the secrets of our hearts; and what we remain within in the conscience, such we go forth without by the tongue. VOL. ir. p p 578 Our Lord kept silence loHerodyWho wouldnol have learned. Job 31, 38. But there are some persons who are altogether afraid Hist. to be despised, and lest they should chance to be judged as • contemptible, aim to appear wise.

These are driven to ' go forth out of the door,' because when assailed with insults, how great in themselves they lie buried from sight, they give out telling it. And when being overcome by impatience they put forth things about themselves, which were unknown, they as it were ' go forth by the door' of the mouth. And so blessed Job being about to say, that he had never ^ gone forth out of the door of the lips,' justly set before; I kept silence; i. e. because agitated by impatience he would have gone forth out of the house of the conscience, if he had not known how to keep silence. For holy men, when they are under the trial of being perturbed, shun wholly and entirely to exhibit themselves to view, and when they cannot benefit those that hear them, they are willing by keeping silence to be even despised, lest they pride themselves upon the exhibition of their own wisdom. And when they say any thing with good understanding, they seek not their own glory, but the life of their hearers. But when they see that they cannot by speaking gain the life of their hearers, by keeping silence they hide their own knowledge. For we hie to the imitating the life of the Lord, as to a kind of mark set before us. For He Himself, because He sawthat Herod sought not advancement, but that he desired to wonder at His signs or His knowledge, on being asked by him held His tongue, and because He kept silence with constancy.

He went forth derided by him. For it is written ; Lulce23, And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad; for he was desirous to see Him of a long season, because he had heard many things of Him ; and he hoped to have seen some V. 9. miracles done by Him : where it is also added ; Then he questioned with Him in m,any words, but He answered him nothing. But how greatly the Lord in holding His peace was despised, is shewn when the words are brought in there V. ]]. directly; And Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked Him. Which same transaction we ought to hear and learn, in order that as often as our hearers desire to be made acquainted with things of ours, as things to be praised, and not to alter what is wrong of their God'^s gift to be owned, His praise only to he sought. 579 own, we should altogether hold our peace; lest, if we speak Book the Word of God with the design of display, both the fault of those persons, which then was, should not cease to be, and our own fault, which was not, should be brought to pass.

A person will perhaps say, ' How do we know with what feelings of the heart a man will hear ?' But there arc a number of things that bring to light the mind of him who hears; first and foremost, if our hearers both aU^ays praise what they hear, and never follow the thing that they praise. This vain glory of speaking the great Preacher had shunned, w^hen he said, For we are not as many, which '^^^^v.i, corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, hut as from God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. For to ' corrupt the Word of God' is to think of Him otherwise than He is, or to seek from it not spiritual fruits, but the corrupt offspring of human praise. But ' to speak as of sincerity,' is not to seek for aught in Revelation beyond what behoves. Now he * speaks as from God,' who knows that he himself hath not from himself, but that he hath received from God what he says. And he speaks ' before God,' who in all that he speaks seeks not human regards, but minds the presence of Almighty God, and who looks for, not his own glory, but the glory of his Creator. But he who indeed knows well that he has himself received from God the thing that he speaks, and yet in speaking seeks his own glory, speaks ^ as from God,' but not ' before God,' because Him he considers as absent.

Whom he does not set before his heart, when he preaches Him. But holy men at once* speak as from God' and * before God,' in that they both know that they have from Him the thing that they say, and they see that He is Himself present at their discoursings, their Judge and their Hearer. Hence it comes to pass, that whereas they know themselves to be set at nought by their neighbours, and that their words do not advantage the life of the persons hearing them, they hide from sight what great goodness they are of, lest if the speech delivered disclose the secret of the heart to no purpose, it should break forth into vain glory.

Therefore blessed Job in the midst of stubborn hearts not aiming to shine forth by the disclosure of his virtue, p p 2 580 Christ for eshewu as concealing His Divinity. Job 31, says, And if the contempt of neighbours terrified mc, and I did not rather keep silence, and went not out of the door. Hist. For he who being stedfast through humihty never feared to be despised, him never did impatience master, that the tongue should cast him forth out of doors. When it is riglitly put first. If I feared at an exceeding great multitude ; that it might be seen and known what great constancy he was of, in this respect, because no number of men ever terrifies without, whom no rout of bad habits lays waste within. For in this life he who seeks nothing that has to do with prosperity, doubtless dreads nothing that has to do with adversity. Myst. 41, Which same words if we carry on to a mystical meaning, we directly find therein the Redeemer's mode of practice. For He was not ' afraid at an exceeding great multitude,' Who smote with a single answer only His persecutors coming Johnis, with swords and staves, saying, / am He. ' Him the contempt of His neighbours did not terrify,' Who, in freeing us from eternal punishments, received strokes on the face wilh a composed mind. ' He kept silence, and did not go forth out of the door,' Who in the very hour now of His Passion, when He was undergoing the weak conditions of humanity, refused to call into action the power of Divinity.

For to the Mediator between God and man it would have been ' to go forth out of the door,' if when He was held as Man He had been minded to display the power of His Majesty, and by the mightiness of His Divinity to surmount the weak conditions of the flesh taken upon Him. For that He might die manifest to man, 1 Cor. 2, He remained hidden God. For had they known it, they ^' would never have crucified the Lord of Glory, And so He did not ^ go forth out of the door,' Who even when questioned by Pilate kept silence; and in the midst of the hands of the persecutors He both offered His Body to suffering, which He had taken upon Him in behalf of the Elect, and would not display to those that were against Him W^hat He was. Ps.88,8. Whence also it is said by the Psalmist; They have made 3Ie an abomination unto them, I was given up, and I went not forth. For when He was despised because He appeared man. He would have * gone forth,' if He had been minded to display His hidden Majesty. But because He brought infirmity to The Helper with God, whom. Job seeks, is our Lord, 581 view, and hid power from sight, herein, that He remained Book unknown to His persecutors, to those persecutors He did not — * go forth.' Who, however, does ' go forth' to the Elect, because to those that seek for it, He discloses the sweetness of His Divine Nature. Whence it is said to Him by the Prophet, Thou xventest forth for the salvation of Thy people, B.?ih. 3, that Thou mightest save Thine Anointed. It goes on : ^^' Ver. 35. Who would (jive me a helper that the Almighty might hear my desire.

The holy man after he related so many high achievements of the virtues in him, knowing well that he cannot Hist. attain to the things on high by his own deserts, seeks for a helper. And whom verily does he fix his eye on but the Only-begotten Son of God, Who whereas He took upon Him human nature travailir.g in this mortal state, did give help ? For He helped man, being made Man; that because to mere man there was no way open of returning to God, there should be made a Way of returning by means of The GodMan ^ For we were far removed from the Righteous and ' HomoImmortal One, being mortal and unrighteous. But between the Immortal and Righteous One and ourselves the mortal and unrighteous, appeared the Mediator of God and man, mortal and righteous. Who might at once own death with mortals, and righteousness with God ; that whereas by our things below we were far removed from things above. He might in Himself singly unite the things below with the things above, and that herein there might be a Way made for us of returning to God, in the degree that He joined ours beneath with His own on high. This One then blessed Job, in his personating of the whole Church, asks for as Mediator, who when he had said, Who would give me a helper, suitably added, that the Almighty anight hear my desii'e.

For he knew that for the rest of Eternal deliverance, the prayers of man can never be heard excepting through his Advocate. Concerning Whom it is said by the Apostle John ; If any one sin, we have an Advo- ^ John cate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous ; and ' He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, hut for the sins of the whole world. Concerning Whom Paul likewise saith ; It is Christ Jesus that died for its, yea, Rom. 8, rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right ' 582 Inward desire^ the prayer heard hy God. Joe 'di^hand of God, Who also maketh inter cession for us* For, for the Only-begotten Son to ' intercede' for man, is to shew Hist. Himself Man in the presence of the Coeternal Father, and for Him to have besought for human nature, is to have taken upon Him that same nature in the loftiness of the Divine Nature. And so the Lord intercedes for us not with the voice but by the act of compassionating ; because that which He would not should be condemned in the Elect, He set free by taking upon Himself. And so a helper is sought for, that ' the desire may be heard;* because except that the intercession of the Mediator were employed in our behalf, surely the accents of our prayers would remain silent to the ear of God.

Moreover it requires to be noted that it is not said, * my prayers,' but, my desire, that the Almighty might hear. For true beseeching does not lie in the accents of the lips, but in the thoughts of the heart. For the stronger accents in the deepest ears of God it is not our words that make, but our desires. For if we seek eternal life with the mouth, but yet do not desire it with the heart, in crying out we keep silence. But if we desire in the heart, even when we are silent with the mouth, in being silent we cry out. It is hence that in the wilderness the people clamour with their voices, and Moses is still to the clamouring of words, and yet whilst keeping still he is heard by the ear of divine Pity, Exod. whereas it is said, Wherefore criest thou unto Me ? Thus ■^^' ^ • within in the desire is the secret cry, which does not reach to the ears of men, and yet fills the hearing of the Creator. It is hence that Anna going to the temple was silent indeed w^ith the lips, and yet uttered so many accents of her desire. Matt.6, Flence the Lord says in the Gospel, Enter into thy chamber, and iihen thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father Which is in secret, and thy Fat Iter Which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

For 'the door being shut he prays in his chamber,' who while his mouth is silent, pours forth the affection of the heart in the sight of the Pitifulness Above. And the voice is ' heard in secret,' when there is a crying out in silence by holy desires. Whence also it is rightly Ps. 10, said by the Fsalmist, The Lord hath heard the desire of the ^" poor; Thine ear hath heard the preparing of their heart. The Judge sought, to write the Book of the new Covenant. 583 Now blessed Job in the subjoined words discloses whom he Book seeks for himself as a helper, in the * hearing of his desire,' ^^^^' saying, And that he himself who judgeth tcould write a book !

P^or because to the People still fearing, the Law was committed by the hands of a Servant, but upon the loving Children, the grace of the Gospel was_ bestowed by the Lord, Who as coming for our Redemption, instituted the New Covenant for us, but in examining as touching the precept of that Covenant one day cometh as Judge also, it is not requisite that by explaining it should be made clear, that He Who Judges is the Same Who writes a book. For Truth Itself says by Itself, The Father judgeth no man, but John 5, hath committed all judgment unto the Son. And so He will then be the Enacter of judgment Who is now the Composer of the ' book ;' that He should then demand in strictness, what He now bids in mildness. For thus we see every day that masters set children the rudiments of their letters caressing them, but exact those of them dealing hardly with them ; and what they give with gentleness, they require back with the rod. For now the precepts of Divine Revelation sound gentle, but they shall be to be thought harsh in the exacting of them. Now, there is a gentle warning of One calling, but then there shall come the strict justice of the Judge, because it is certain that no whit even of the very least commandment will pass without scrutinizing. By which same it is apparent that He that * judgeth is the Same That wrote the Book,' Which same ' Book' of the New Testament, that the Redeemer of man should Himself frame in His own Person at the last, the Prophet Ezekiel rightly tells forth, saying, And behold sice men came from the way Ez.9, 2, of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand ;

and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writefs inkhorn at his reins. For what else is there denoted in the ' six men coming' but the six ages' of mankind? Who ' come from * St. Gregory's division of ages, Horn, meant is probably that in St. Isidore of in Ev. xix. §. 1. from Adam to Noah, Seville, Etym. lib. v. c. 39. De disNoah to Abraham, Abraham to Moses, cretione temporum, where two more Moses to Our Lord, and then to the divisions are made, at David, and the end, will not suit this place. What is Captivity. He compares tliese ages to 584 Christ as a Writer foreshewii to Ezekiel. Job 31, the way of the higher gate,' because from the state of Paradise Proph —■-as from the beginning of the world, they are unwound from the upper generations. Which ' gate h)ol<s to the Nortli' in this way, because the mind of man lying open to evil, except that, abandoning the warmth of charily, it had courted the numbness of the interior, would never have gone out to this breadth of mortality. And every man a slaugliter weapon in his hand; because each particular generation being evolved by the several respective ages, before the Coming of the Redeemer, had in its practice that wherefrom it took the punishment of condemnation. And one man among them was clothed with linen. Because our Redeemer deigned to have parents even of the priestly Tribe ^ after the flesh.

He is described as coming ' clothed with linen.' Or, surely, because linen is from the earth, and is not like wool produced from the corruptible flesh, seeing that He derived the covering of His Body from a Virgin mother, and not by the corruptness of copulation, therefore He came to us ' clothed with linen.' And a writer s inkhorn at his reins. In the ' reins' is the hind part of the body. And because the Lord Himself after that He died for our sakes, and rose again, and ascended up into heaven, then wrote the New Testament through the Apostles, this man had an ' inkhorn at his reins.' For He Who after He departed framed the writing of the New Testament, as it were, carried an ' inkhorn' behind him. Thus this ' inkhorn' he sees to hold fast to the man * clothed with linen,' who says. And that the same wJw judges would write a hook. But wherefore, blessed Job, desirest thou that a book should be written by Him, Who is Judge ? It goes on ; Ver. 36. TJtat I might hear it upon my shoulder^ and put it round me like a crown. xix. 45. To ' bear the book upon the shoulder,' is by practising to carry out Holy Scripture. And observe how orderly it is described both first as being * carried on the shoulder,' and afterwards * put round' him ' as a crown ;' because, that is the days of Creation.

The same division Elisabeth, 'of the daughters of Aaron/ is given in the beginning of his Chroniwas a kinswoman of the Blessed con. Virgin. Luke 1, 5. and 36. '' ' Tribii,' perhaps ' nation,' bat J oh seeks his ' Book' in the peisoti of l/ie Elect. 585 to say, the precepts of Sacred Revelation, if they be now Book borne in practice, afterwards set forth for us the crown of '■ victory in the recompensing. But wliy does blessed Job beg for ' the book to be written by the Judge,' who was not able to attain to the times of the New Testament? But, as has been often said already, he uses the accents of the Elect, and in the personifying of them begs that, which he foresaw would benefit them in all respects. For he himself by the Spirit had for long had that book with him, which by the grace of Inspiration he had obtained, that both by living he should be made acquainted with, and by foreseeing he should announce. But herein it requires to be known that when we take thought of the precepts of Sacred Revelation, and when we draw off the mind from love of the life of corruption, we as it were hasten on by a kind of footsteps of the heart, to the interior scene of things. Now no man, in abandoning things below, is directly made at the top ; because for earning the title to perfection, whilst the soul is day by day being led forward on high, doubtless there is an attaining thereto as it were by a kind of steps of ascending. Whence in this place also it is fitly added ; By my several steps I will declare it.

Since concerning these * steps' of merits it is said by the Psalmist, They go from virtue to virtue. Concerning Ps.84,7. these, again, regarding Holy Church he says ; God is distinPs.48,3. guished in her steps, what time He shall receive her. jTor^^^^^ neither is there any attaining suddenly to things above, as has been said, but to the topmost pitch of virtuous attainments the soul is led on by accessions. For hence it is that the same Prophet saith again ; I was exercised^ and my spirit Ps-77,3. failed little by little. What does he mean, then, that he says, my spirit, but the spirit of man, i. e. the spirit of exaltation ? And because by secret grace we advance to the love of God by a measure regulated from above, in proportion as virtue is daily increased in us by the Spirit of God, our own spirit proportionably goes off. Which spirit of error, because it is not at once cut clean away from us, is justly recorded to have ' failed little by little.' But we then make complete advance in God, when we have wholly and 586 Several stages of advancement in the Elect. Job 31, entirely fallen away from ourselves. Thus these measures of ^^ ' growing virtues by the words of the holy man are styled ' steps.' For every elect person sets out from the tenderness of his embryo in the first instance, and afterwards comes to firmness for strong and vigorous achievements.

Which thing 26— 99 ' "^"^^^^ plainly shews in the Gospel, saying. So is the kingdom ' of heaven^ as if a man should cast seed into the groimd, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how. Which same seed describing the growths of He adds ; For the earth bringelh forth fruit of herself; first the blade , then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. The end of whose progress too he also makes to succeed, saying. But when it has brought forth the fruits from itself, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. Observe, by the voice of Truth the accessions of merits are marked out by the characters of fruits. For He says, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Was not Peter still a ' blade' then, when by the mouth of a maid he was in a moment bent down by the blast of a single speech, already green indeed through devotednessj but still tender through infirmity. But he was found ' full corn in the ear' when he withstood the Acts 6, rulers persecuting him, saying, TVe ought to obey God rather than men. For he was found ' full corn in the ear' when, in the winnowing of persecution, he underwent such numberless wounds, but yet he was never made small after the manner of chaff", but continued whole grain.

For little by little in each several soul, so to say, the moisture of interior grace abounds, that the blade may grow into fruit. So let no one when he sees any neighbour still a ' blade' despair of the ' full corn.' Since from the leaves of the blades, which hang softly, flowing hither and thither, the rising grains of fruitage come to firmness.

Now the Prophet Daniel, whereas, when the Lord was speaking to him, he made it his business to tell us the posture of his body, did rightly represent these stages of Dan. 10, merits. Thus he says; Yet heard 1 the voice of his words, ^—^^' and when I heard the voice of his words, then teas I dismayed upon my face, and my face clave to the ground. And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my The same shewn by DavicTs postures in his Vision. 587 knees, and upon the joints of my hands. And he said, Book 0 Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that '1 speak unto thee, and stand upright ; for unto thee am I now sent : and when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling ; and he said unto me. Fear not. Which same posture of his body, whilst he was Hstening to the words of one speaking inwardly, he would never set forth to us with so much pains, if he had known it to be void of mysteries. For in Sacred Writ not only what holy men say is prophecy, but also very often what they do. Thus the holy man, being pregnant with interior mysteries, by the posture of his body, likewise represents the power of the voice ; and by this that he first lay prostrate on the earth, by this that he afterwards set himself up on the joints of his hands and on his knees, by this that at last he stood fast erect indeed, yet trembling, he makes known to us in his own person all the order of our progress.

For the words of God we hear * lying on the ground,' when being settled in our sins, allied to earthly pollution, we are made acquainted with spiritual precepts from the voice of the Saints. At which precepts, we are as it were set up upon our knees and the joints of our hands, because withdrawing ourselves from earthly defilements, we as it were henceforth lift up our mind from things below. For as he wholly cleaves to the ground, who lies dismayed, so he who is bent down upon his knees and the joints of his fingers, his advancement commencing, is already in a gieat measure hung aloft from earth. But at the last by the voice of the Lord we stand there erect indeed, yet trembling, in that being perfectly lifted up from earthly objects of desire, the more fully we know the words of God, the more we are afraid. For he as it were still lies prostrate on the ground, who by desires after the earthly cares nothing to be lifted up to the heavenly. But it is as if he being lifted up still * rested upon his hands and knees,' who already forsakes some defilements, but does not yet withstand some earthly practices. But he now stands there present erect at the words of God, who perfectly lifts up the mind to things aloft, and scorns to be bent down by impure desires.

Now he rightly shews that he * stood trembling;' because the scrutinv of interior exactness is the more fear588 From faith we learn Jlrst fear, then love. Job 81, fully dreaded, the more advanced the progress in respect ■ ' thereto. Where it is fitly subjoined by the voice of God, Fear not; because the more that we ourselves learn what we should have occasion to fear, the more we have infused in us from God by interior grace what may call for love, so that both our contempt little by little may pass away into fear, and fear pass away into charity ; that wherein God when He seeks us, by contempt we withstand, and by fear flee from, both contempt and fear being one day set aside, we should be joined to Him by love only. For httle by little we learn even the very fear of Him% to the love of Whom only we are attached. And thus as it were there being placed a kind of steps of our advance, the foot of the mind first by fear we set below, and afterwards by charity lift it to the heights of love, that from that wherewith a man is pufiTed up he may be checked, so that he fear, and from that, which he now dreads he may be lifted up, that he may have boldness. Now these steps of virtuous attainments it is no great labour to lay hold of, since there is the passing from one to another.

But the subject requires the nicest handling, when the mind strives to estimate in the case of one and the same virtue with what steps of advancement it is lifted up. For to mention the first elements of virtue, i. e. faith and wisdom, they cannot be severally gained, except we ascend thereto by marked and ordered methods as by a kind of steps. For faith itself which imbues us for taking in hand in a perfect manner what else there is good, very often in its beginnings both totters and is firmly based, and it is now held most surely, and yet touching the assurance thereof there is still trembling under the effects of misgiving. For a part of it is received first, that it may be afterwards perfectly completed in us. For if there were not an advancing by a sure step in the mind of one who believes, the father of the child to be healed would not have said on being quesMark 9, tioned, in the Gospel, Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief. And so he was still ascending upwards as to the faith which he had already received, who at one and the same time both ^ The readings vary. The Ben. MSS. and others at Oxford, ' Eum Editor seems not to have seen that timere dedisciraus, eique vi solius &c.' noticed in the Italian reprint, which ' we unlearn fearing Him, and are atis also in the Merton and Trin. Coll. tached to Him by the force of love alone.' EzekieVs vision of waters shews the steps of righteousness. 589 cried out that he already believed and still doubted from Book • • XXII unbelieving. Hence it is also that it said to our Redeemer 'by His disciples, Increase our faith ^ that that which hadLukei7, been ah*eady received in beginning, might by the accessions of steps arrive at perfection.

Moreover Wisdom herself, who is required to be the mistress of good works, is vouchsafed to the panting soul by degrees of increase, that surely the ascending thereto should be by the steps of wonderful regulation. Which same the Prophet Ezekiel well describes in a figurative relation, who concerning that man whom he had seen on a high mountain tells, saying, He measured a thousand cubits, and he brought Ez. 47, 7ne through the w'atcr up to the ancles; again he measured ~ a thousand, and brought me through the water up to the knees; again he measured a thousaiid, and brought me through the water up to the reins. Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a torrent that I could not pass over, for there swelled deep waters of a torrent, wJiich could not be passed over. For what is denoted by the number of a ^ thousand,' but the fulness of the benefit vouchsafed } Thus the man who appeared ' measures a thousand cubits,' and the Prophet is led through the waters ' up to the ancles,' because our Redeemer, when to us on our being converted to Him He bestowed the fulness of a good beginning, bathed the first treadings of our practice by the gift of spiritual wisdom. For the water's reaching up to the ancle is our henceforth maintaining the treadings of longed-for righteousness by wisdom being vouchsafed to us. Again, he ' measures a thousand cubits,' and the Prophet is led through the water ' up to the knees,' because when the fulness of good practice is bestowed, our wisdom is increased even to this degree, that there is not henceforth any bending in bad deeds.

Thus it is hence said by Paul, Wherefore lift up the hands Heb.i2, iJiat hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight steps with your feet. Thus * the water reaches to the knees,' when the wisdom that is is obtained perfectly braces us to uprightness of good practice. And again, he ' measures a thousand,' and the Prophet is ' led through the water up to the reins' in this way, because the fulness of good practice then gi'ows to a height in us, when the wisdom vouchsafed 590 H'ujheat Wisdom unsearchahle. Juh\s offering. Job 31, has killed in us as far as it is possible all the gratification — - ^ — of the flesh as well. For except the ^ratification of the flesh Hist. was seated in the reins, the Psalmist would never have said, Ps.2j26. Burn my reins and my heart. Therefore the water comes up * to the reins,' when the sweetness of wisdom destroys the very incitements of the flesh too, so that the burnings of the flesh that might have scorched up the soul are cooled down. And he still further ' measured a thousand,' ' and it was a torrent which the Prophet could not pass,' of which he also says. Because there swelled deep waters of a torrent^ which could not he passed over. For perfectness of practice having been received, we come to contemplation ; in which same contemplation while the mind is cai'ried up on high, being uplifted it sees in God that the thing that it sees it cannot fathom, and as it were it touches the water of the torrent, which it cannot pass through, because at once it beholds in gazing what it may be pleased to behold, and yet is not able perfectly to behold that very thing that it pleases.

And so the Prophet sooner or later comes to the water ' which he cannot pass through,' because when we are at last brought to the contemplation of wisdom, the mere immensity thereof, wdiich by itself lifts man to itself, denies the human mind a full acquaintance, so that it should at once by touching love this wisdom, and yet never by passing through penetrate it.

Thus blessed Job called these increasings of virtues by the title of ' steps,' because he saw them to be in distinct divisions, bestowed on men by gift from above ; seeing that by them only do we ascend so as to come to the attaining of heavenly things. And so in making mention of the Sacred Book, i. e. of Divine Revelation, he says; By my several steps I will declare it, in this way surely, because he really ascends to the teaching of God, who has broken forth to the attaining thereof by the steps of holy practice. And he as it were ' by his several steps declares the book' who proves that he has been vouchsafed the knowledge of it not in respect of words only, but also of deeds. Whence it is yet further added; And as to a prince I will offer it. For every thing that we ofler, we hold in our hands. And Souls entrusted to governors as land to till. 591 so * unto the Prince' coming to Judgment * to offer the book' Book is to have held the words of His precepts in our behaviour 'It proceeds ; Yer. 38 — 40. If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain: if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have afflicted the soid of the tillers thereof; let the thistle grow for me instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley.

For what is it for the ' land to cry,' for ' the furrows to weep,' and to have ' eaten one's own fruits buying them ?' '^'^'^* To whom is it necessary to buy what is his own } who has heard ' the land crying ?' Who has seen ' the furrows weeping?' And whereas the furrows of the land are always of the land, why is it that by a separate declaration it is both said that the land did not cry, and that the fuiTows thereof did not weep along with it? For whereas a furrow of the earth is nothing else but earth, it does not need the accounting of much difference, that he adds ; And along with it the furrows thereof iveep. In which same point because the order of the history falls to the ground, the mystical meaning displays itself to us, the doors as it were being now set open. As though it exclaimed in plain speech; ' Whereas ye know that the reasonableness of the letter has dropped dead, doubtless it remains that ye should fall back to me without misgiving. For every one who either by private right rules a domestic household, or for the common advantage is set over faithful multitudes, herein that he possesses the rights of government over the faithful committed to him, what else does he but hold the land to cultivate it ? Since it is for this end that each individual is advanced above the rest, by Divine distribution, that the mind of those under him, like land subdued, may be made fruitful by the seed of his preaching.

But ' the land crieth against' its possessor, if it chance that against him, who is set at the head, either a private family, or Holy Church utters any just murmur. Since for * the land to cry,' is for those under charge to grieve with reason against the injustice of him who rules them; where it is rightly subjoined. And along with it the furrows thereof weep. For the land even when not cultivated by any works generally produces something of suste592 The furrowed hearts grieve for the oppression of otJiers. Job 31, nance for the service of man, but when ploughed it bears ~ -' fruits to superabundance. And there are some persons, who 'not being cleft by any ploughshare of reading, or any of exhortation, do yet of themselves produce some good things, though bat the least, like land not yet ploughed up. But there are some who for always hearing and retaining, applying themselves to holy preachings and meditations, as it were cleft with a kind of ploughshare of the tongue, as to the former hardness of the heart, receive the seed of exhortation, and by the furrows of voluntary chastening render the fruits of good practice. But it is very often the case that those who are set at the head do things unjust, and it comes to pass that the very persons injure those under them, who were bound to do them good. Which when uninstructed persons see, being enraged they murmur against their ruler, and yet do not by sympathy grieve violently for their neighbours.

But when these who are already broken in pieces by the plough of reading, and dressed for the fruitage of practice, see innocent persons borne down even in the least things, they are forthwith turned by sympathy to tears of sorrow, because they bewail as their own the things that their neighbours suffer unjustly. For the perfect, whereas they are ever affected with regard to what is spiritual, are taught to lament for the bodily hurts of others, so much the more in proportion as they are now instructed not to lament for their own. And so every one who is set in authority, if he executes what is bad in the case of those under him, ' the earth crieth against him and the furrows weep,' because against his injustice the uninstructed peoples indeed break out in accents of murmuring, while all the perfect severally chasten themselves in tears for his wicked practice, and for what the inexperienced cry out and do not grieve, those under authority of a more tried life bewail and hold their peace. And so for ' the furrows to bewail along with the land crying out,' is by that thing whereas the multitude of the faithful complains with justice against the ruler, for persons of a more fruitful life to be brought to tears of sorrow. Thus the furrows are both of the earth, and yet are distinguished from the term of ^ the earth,' because those in Holy Church, who cultivate their mind with the labour of holy meditation, are Sin ofeatinij the ChurcWs bread tcUhotit Uihour.

^'iY^ as much better than the rest of the laithful, in ijroportion as Book • XXII by the seeds received they render more abundant fruits of deeds. And there are some who being set over holy peoples obtain the payments of livelihood by the bountifulness of the Church, but do not pay the ministrations of exhortation that are due. In opposition to whom the example of the holy man is yet further subjoined aright, when it is directly added by him; If I have eaten the fruit thereof without money.

For to ' eat the fruit of the land without money' is to receive indeed our charges from the Church, but not to yield to that Church the price of preaching. Of which same preaching it is said by the voice of the Creator, Thou ouyhtest Matt. therefore to have put my money to the exchangers^ and then ' at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. And so he ' eats the fruits of the earth without money,' who receives the Church's benefits for the service of the body, but does not pay to the people the ministry of exhortation. What do we pastors say to these things, who while we are the forerunners of the Advent of the Strict Judge, take upon us the function of a herald indeed, but devour the Church's supplies with dumb mouths } We exact all that is owed to our own body, but we do not pay back what we owe to the soul of those committed to our charge. Mark how the holy man, tied down by so many pledges in this world, in the midst of numberless employments, was free for the pursuit of preaching. And he never ' ate the fruits of the earth without money,' because surely he paid back the word of good warning to those under his charge, from whom he received the fruit of bodily serving. For this every one who is set over the people owes to Almighty God, he who is set over many, and he who is set over a smaller number, that he should in such sort exact the due ministration from those subject to him, that he may himself mind with heedful regard what of warning he at all times owes.

For all we who subject to the appointment of the Creator are joined amongst ourselves by a vicarious ministry in obedience to our true Lord, what else are we but servants to one another ? Whereas, then, he who is subordinate serves in obeisance, assuredly it remains that he who is set over him should serve to the VOL. II. Q q 69 i All (jood spoiled hy envyiixj the like in oUiers. Job 31, word. Whereas he who is subordinate yields obedience to 1— orders, it is required that he who is at the head should bestow the care and concern af solicitude and of pity. And so it comes to pass, that whilst we studiously endeavour to serve one another now by charity, we may one day rule together with the true Lord in common rejoicing. But there are some, who herein, that they discharge the office of preaching, grudge others the good that they have, and so do not any longer have it in a true sense. To whom it is rightly JamesS, said by James, But if ye have hitter envying among yourselves^ and strife in your hearts^ this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Hence here also when it is said, If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, it is rightly subjoined ; Or have afflicted the soul of the tillers thereof, xxiii. 54. For they are the * tillers' of the land, who, being placed in a lower situation, with what earnestness they are able, with the best practice that they can, cooperate in the grace of preaching to the instructing of Holy Church.

Which same * husbandmen of this land' not to afflict, is this, viz. not to envy their labours ; that the ruler of the Church, while he vindicates to himself alone the right of preaching, should not, by envy gnawing him, gainsay others also that preach in a right way. For the religious mind of the pastor, because it seeks not its own glory but the glory of the Creator, desires to have all that it does aided by all persons. For the faithful preacher wishes, if it might be brought to pass, that the truth which he is not able to give utterance to alone, the mouths of all should sound out. Whence when Joshua would have withstood the two who remained in the camp Numb, and prophesied, it is rightly said by Moses, Enviest thou 11, 29. j'gy y^^y gfj^j.Q 'f WoitM God that all the Lord'^s people were prophets, and that the Lord woidd put His Spirit upon them ! For he was willing for all to prophesy, in that he envied not others the good that he had. Thus because blessed Job introduced all these things as under suspension, and if he had not done them, binds himself with the sentence of cursing, it goes on ; Ver. 40. Let the thistle grow for me instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley. Job's curse on h unset/ if he had done l/tus and thus. 5i)5

As though he said in plain words ; ' If" I have done Book aught unjust towards those under me, if I have exacted the - ' .debts due to me, and have not myself paid what I owed, if I have envied others the executing of good practice, for the good things which refresh for ever and ever, may evil things that sting be repaid me in the Judgment.' Since ^ instead of the wheat there springs up the thistle, and instead of barley the thorn,' when in the final Retribution, wherefrom the recompensing of our labour is looked for, the piercing of pain is met with. And observe, that as barley is different from wheat, though both regale, so the thorn differs from the thistle, though either be a thing that pricks, because the thistle is softer, and the thorn alwa3S the harder as to pricking. Thus he says, Lei Ike thistle grow instead of tcheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly and openly; I know indeed that 1 have both done great good acts and lesser ones ; and if it is not so, may lesser evils match me for my great good acts, and the greater evils for the lesser good ones.' Though this may also be understood in another sense. For in ' wheat' there is denoted in spiritual action whi :h regales the mind, but in ' barley* the disposal of earthly things.

Wherein while vve are often forced to serve the weak and carnal, we as it were prepare their food for the beasts of burthen, and the very practice of our deeds after the manner of barley has somewhat of a mixture of chaff. And it very often hap})ens, that the ruler who is set at the head, while he enforces what is unjust against those under liis charge, while he cheers not the good with any soothing, whilst, that which is more grievous, all those acting rightly he distresses out of envy, still some good things he sometimes does, as if ho sowed corn, and mixed in the disposing of earthly things at times not in the passion of avarice, but for the use of the carnal, and so looks for the fruit of that labour as a crop of barley. But the several persons under his charge, in consideration of this, that they are borne hard upon in the chief things, cannot feel joy in his lesser good things ; because neither is this practice well i)leasing in the sight of God, which is defiled by the injustice of other practice, nor yet is the very disj)osal of earthly things 596 Rulers, thoiujh had examples, to be obeyed. Joii 31, believed to be undertaken for the service of those under his charge, when he who is over them is seen to pant with avarice. Whence it happens that even in answer to the few good things themselves, which they see to be done in the midst of a multitude of evil ones, they give back not praises but groans, and that those that go weakly murmur, while they take thought that that which they see is not a thing of pure practice.

And so he says, If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain ; if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have afflicted the soul of the tillers thereof: let the thistle grow instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly, ' If the great things which I owed I have not heedfully performed, may I receive the prickings of murmuring from those under me, even with reference to the good that I have done. If I have omitted to set forth what might cheer, may their tongue springing forth into complaint with justice pierce me.'

Wherein it requires always to be minded with heedful consideration, that neither they that are set at the head offer examples of bad practice to those under them, and kill the life of those by the sword of their evil doing, nor they that are subject to the control of another presume to judge lightly the deeds of their rulers, and from this, that they utter murmurs touching those who are placed over them, set themselves not against a human appointment but against that Divine Appointment, which disposes all things. For to those Ez. 34, it is said. And as for My flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet: they drink that which ye have folded with your feet. For ' the sheep drink what is fouled with the feet,' when those under charge for example of living seek after things, which the persons over them severally corrupt by bad practice. But on the other hand these persons hear Ex. iG, from those in command ; And what are we ? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. For he that murmurs against power established over him, it is plain reproves Him Who gave that power to man. At length, God vouchsafing it, we have explored tJiose sentences of blessed Job, full of mystical force, in which he Words of young Elihu next to be carefully ireiyhed. 597 made answer to the words of bis friends. Now it remains Book that we come lo the words of Ehhii, which are to be weighed — - — ■* witli so much the graver caution, in proportion as they are also, put forward through the boldness of youth with a hotter spirit. Gregory the (^eat of Job. Morals on the book PONTlFiiTure OF MEDlAEVAl. STUDIES

It is necessary for me to repeat the preface of this work, as often as I divide it into separate vokimes, by making a pause in my observations, it order that when it is again begun to be read, the subject of the Treatise may be at once brought afresh to the memory ; and that the edifice of teaching may rise the more firmly, the more carefully the foundation is laid in the mind, from considering the first beginning of the subject. Blessed Job, known to God and himself alone in his state of tranquillity, when he was to be brought before our notice, was smitten with a rod, in order that he might scatter more widely the odour of his strength, the more sweetly he gave forth his scent, as spices, from the burning. He had learned in his prosperity to rule over his subjects with gentleness, and to guard himself strictly from evil. He had learned how to use the things he had got: but we could not tell whether he would remain patient under their loss. He had learned to offer daily sacrifices to God for the safety of his children, but it was doubtful, whether he would also offer Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving when he was bereft of them. For fear then that sound health should conceal any defect, it was proper that pain should bring it to lighr. Permission then to practise temptation against the holy man is given to the crafty foe.

But he, in seeking to destroy his 2 Safari's craft ngalnst Joh^ and its utter failure. Jon 32, goods which were known to many, l)rings to li^ht the '- — vh'tiie of patience also v^liich was lying hid, and whom he l)elievcd he was pressing hard by his persecutions, he magnified him by his scourges, and far extended him in example. And he exercised witli great skill the ])erniission he had received. For he burnt his herds, destroyed his family, overwhelmed his heirs, and, in order to launch against him a weapon of severer temptation, he ke])t in store the tongue of his wife : that thus he might both lay low the bold and firm heart of the holy man with grief, by the loss of his goods, and pierce it through with a curse, by the words of his wife. But by the many wounds he inflicted in his cruelty, he unintentionally furnished as many triumphs to the holy man. For the faithful servant of God, involved in wounds and reproaches at one and the same time, both endued with patience the sufferings of the flesh, and reproved with wisdom the folly of his wife. The ancient enemy, therefore, because he was gi'ieved at being foiled by him in his domestic trials, proceeded to seek for help from abroad. He summoned, therefore, his friends, each from his own place, as if for the purpose of displaying their affection, and opened their lips, luider the pretence of giving consolation.

But, by these very means, he launched against him shafts of reproach, which would wound more severely the heart of him who securely listened to them, inasmuch as they were inflicting an unexpected wound beneath the cover of a friendship which was professed and not observed. After these, also, Eliu a younger person is urged on even to use insult, in order that the scornful levity of his youth might at all events disturb the tranquillity of such great gentleness. But against these many machinations of the ancient enemy his constancy stood unconquered, his equanimity unbroken. For at one and the same time he opposed his prudence to their hostile words, his conduct to their doings. Let no one then suppose that this holy man (although it was expressly written of him jq^ I after his scourging, In all these things Job sinned not with 2. his lips) sinned afterwards, at least, in his words in his dispute with his friends. For Satan aimed at his temptation, but God, Who had praised him, took on Himself the purport of that contest. If any one, therefore, complains that blessed Job represents the Redeemer Whom he foretold. 3 Job sinned in his words, what else does he do, but confess Book that God, Who pledged Himself for him, had been the loser.

But since the ancient fathers, like fruitful trees, are not merely beauteous in appearance, but also profitable through their fertility, their life must be so considered by us, that when we admire the freshness of their history, we may learn also how fruitful they are in allegory, in order that, since the smell of their leaves is pleasant, we may learn also how sweet is the taste of their fruits. For no one ever possessed the grace of heavenly adoption but he who has received it through the knowledge of the Only-begotten. It is right then that He should shine forth in their life and words. Who so enlightens them that thej' may be able' to shine. For»merewhen the light of a candle is kindled in the dark, the candle,'^" "^ which causes other objects to be seen, is first seen itself. And so, if we are truly endeavouring to behold the objects which are enlightened, it is necessary for us to open the eyes of our mind to that Lightening which gives them light. But it is this which shines forth in these very discourses of blessed Job, when the shades of allegory too have been driven away, as though the gloom of midnight had been dispelled, a bright light as it were flaming across them. As when it is said, / know that my Redeemer liveth, Joh 19, and in my Jlesh I shall see God. Paul had doubtless ^^' discovered this light in the night of history, when he said, All were baptized in Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and i Cor.

all ate the same spiritual meat, and all drank the same ' spiritual drink. But they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, but the Rock was Christ. If then the Rock represented the Redeemer, why should not blessed Job suggest the type of Him, since he signified in his suffering Him Whom he spake of in his voice? And hence he is not improperly called Joh, that is to say, " grieving," because he sets forth in his own person the image of Him, of Whom it is announced long before by Isaiah, that He Himself 6or^l3.63,4. our griefs. It should be further known, that our Redeemer has represented Himself as one Person with Holy Church, whom He has assumed to Himself. For it is said of Him, Eph. 4 Which is the Head, even Christ. And a^rain it is written of Jf; Col I His Church; And the body of Christ, which is the Church. 2A.' ' 4 Joh\s wife iypijie.f the carnal ; his friends, heretics. Job 32, IMcsscd Job tlicrefore, wiu) was more truly a type of Christ, since he prophesied of His passion, not by words only, but also by his sufferings, when he dwells on setting forth the Redeemer in his words and deeds, is sometimes suddenly turningto signify His body; in order that, as we b(;lieve Christ and His Church to be one Person, we may behold this signilied also by the actions of a single man.

3. 15 ut what else is signified by his wife, who ])rovol<es him to words of blasphemy, but the depravity of carnal men? For placed, with yet unreformed manners, within the pale of the Holy Church, they press harder on those of faithful lives, the nearer they are to them; because when they cannot as being faithful be avoided by the faithful, they are endured as a greater evil, the more inward it is. But his friends, who while pretending to advise, inveigh against him, represent to us heretics, who under the pretence of advising, caiTy on the business of leading astray. And thus while speaking to Job on behalf of the Lord, they hear His reproof; because all heretics in truth while endeavouring to maintain God's cause, do in fact offend Him. Whence also it is properly Job 13 said to them by the same holy man, 1 desire to reason with ^* ^God, first shewing tliat ye are forgers of lies, and followers of corrupt doctrines. It is plain then that they typify heretics, since the holy man accuses them of being devoted to the profession of false doctrines. And since Job is by interpretation grieving, (for by his grief is set forth either the passion of the Mediator, or the travails of Holy Church, which is harassed by the manifold labours of this present life,) so do his friends also by the very word which is used for their names set forth the nature of their conduct.

For Eliphaz siguifies in Latin'' contempt of God;" and what else is the conduct of heretics than a proud contempt of God by the false notions they entertain of Him? Bildad is interpreted " oldness alone." And well are all heretics termed oldness alone, in the things they speak of God, since they are anxious to appear preachers, not with any honest intention, but with an earnest desire after worldly honour. For they are urged to speak not by the zeal of the new man, but by the evil principles of their old life. Sophar too is called in Latin ' dissipation of the prospect,' or a ' dissipating of Their names e.vplained. Eliu type of the arrogant. 5 the prospect.' For the minds of the faithful raise themBook selves to the contemplation of things above : but when the — i words of the heretics endeavour to draw them aside from the right objects of contemplation, they do their best to dissipate the prospect. In the three names then of Job's friends, there are set forth three cases of the ruin of heretics. For did they not despise God, they would never entertain false notions respecting Him; and did they not contract oldness, they would not err in their estimate of the new life ; and unless they marred the contemplation of the good, the divine judgments would not have reproved them with so strict a scrutiny, for the faults which they committed in their words. By despising God then, they keep themselves in their oldness : but by remaining in their oldness, they obstruct the view of them that are right by their crooked discoursing.

After these also, Fliu, a younger person, is joined to them in their reproaches of blessed Job. In his person is represented a class of teachers, who are faithful, but yet arrogant. Nor do we easily understand his words, unless we consider them by the help of the subsequent reproof of the Lord. Who is he that involves sentences in unskilful words? for Job 38, when He uses the word ' sentences,' but does not imme-^* diately subjoin of what nature they are. He intends the word without doubt to be understood favoiu'ably. For when * sentences' are spoken of, unless they are said to be bad, they cannot be understood in a bad sense. For we always take the word in a good sense, if no unfavourable addition is majde; as it is written,^ slothful man seems iciser in his own Prov. opinion than seven men uttering sentences. But by its ' being said that his sentences are involved in unskilful language, it is plainly shewn that they were uttered by him with the folly of pride. For it is a great unskilfulness in him, to be unable to express himself with humility in what he says, and to blend with sentiments of truth the words of pride.

For the nature of every thing that is said can be distinguished by four different qualities. If, for instance, either bad things are said badly, good things well, bad things well, or good things badly. A bad thing is badly said, when wrong advice is given; as it is written. Curse God, and die. Joh 2 o. () JVhiit Ih spoken, (i?id how. The three friends reconciled, Joii3iZ, A good tljin^^ is well said, u lien right matters are rightly :— preached; as John says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven 2. '/.s- (il hand. A bad thing is well spoken, when a fault is adduced by the s])eakcr, simply to be reproved; as Paul Rom. ],says. The women charnjed their natural use into that uhich is against iiature. In which place he sulrjoined too the execrable doings of men. Biit he related these unseemly things in a seemly way, that by telling of things unbecoming, he might recal many to the practice of what is becoming. But a good thing is ill spoken, when what is projier is brought forward with an improper object; as the Pharisees are reported to have said to the blind man who John 9, iiad received his sight. Be thou His disciple; for they said ^^' this for the express purpose of reproaching him, not as Johnii, wishing what they said; or as Caiaphas says, It is expedient ^^' that one man should die for the people, that the ivhole fiation perish not. It was a good thing which he said, but not with good view; for Avhile he longed for His cruel death, he prophesied the grace of redemption. And in like manner Eliu also is reproved for saying right things in a wrong way: because in the very truths which he utters he is puffed up with arrogance. And he represents thereby the character of the arrogant, because through a sense of what is right he rises up into words of pride.

But what is meant by the Divine Voice directing that the three friends should be reconciled by seven sacrifices, while it leaves Eliu only beneath the reproof of a single sentence ; except it be that heretics, when bedewed with the superabundance of Divine grace, sometimes return to the unity of Holy Church } This is excellently set forth by the very reconciliation of the friends, for whom nevertheless > blessed Job is directed to pray. Because in truth the ; sacrifices of heretics cannot be acceptable to God, unless / they be offered for them by the hands of the Church Catholic, \ that they may gain a healing remedy by her merits, whom j they used to smite by attacking her with the shafts of their reproaches. And thence is it that seven sacrifices aie said to have been offered for them, because whilst they receive on confession the Spirit of sevenfold grace, they are i atoned for, as it were, by seven oblations. Wherefore in the ■ Meaning of their sacrifices. EVui reproved. 7 Apocalypse of John, the whole Church is represented by the Book sevenfold number of the Churches: and hence is it that^' — Rev. 1 Solomon speaks thus of Wisdom, Wisdom luitJi builded /tern, house, sJie hath Jiewn out iter seven pillars. The heretics f^"^"^' ^' then on their reconciliation express, by the very number of the sacrifices, their own former character, since it is only by their returning that they are united to the perfection of sevenfold grace.

But they are properly represented as having offered for themselves bulls and rams. For in a bull is designated the neck of pride, in a ram the leading of the flocks that follow. What then is the offering of bulls and rams on their behalf, but the destruction of their proud leadership, that they may think humbly of themselves, and not seduce any longer the hearts of the innocent to follow tliem ? For they had started aside with swelling neck from the general body of the Church, and were drawing after them the weakminded, as flocks following their guidance. Let them come then to blessed Job, that is, let them return to the Church, and offer bulls and rams to be slaughtered for a sevenfold sacrifice, who in order to be united to the Church Catholic, by the coming in of a spirit of humility, have to put an end to whatever swelling thoughts they before used to entertain from their haughty leadership.

But Eliu (by whom are designated those lovers of vain-glory who, living within the pale of the Church, scorn to state in a humble way the sound views which they hold) is not directed to be reconciled by sacrifice. For those who ai'e proud, and yet faithful, because they are already within the pale, cannot be brought back by seven sacrifices. Yet the divine wisdom reproves these people in the person of Eliu, and blames in them not their sentences of truth, but their temper and language of pride. But what is the meaning of the reproof, except that the chiding of the divine severity chastens them with scourges as yjlaced within the Church, or by a righteous judgment leaves them to themselves } For such as these preach the truth within the Church, but, in the judgment of God, deserve to hear an unfavourable sentence, because by the sound truths which they state, which are not their own, they seek not the glory of their author, but their own credit. We must therefore 8 Teachers of Truth still need to watch against pride. Job 32, carefully weigh tliis j)as.sage, in wliich it is said by the ' Divine Voice respecting Eliu, Who is he? An interrogaJ ob 38 J , 2. tion of this kind is but the beginning of a reproof. For we say not, Who is he, exce[)t of a ])erson of whom we are ignorant. But God's ignorance is the same as His rejection :

whence He will at the end say to some whom He rejects, Mat. 7, I know yon not tvhence you are; depart from Me, ail ye workers of iniquity. To ask then of this haughty man, Who is he ? what is it but plainly to say, I know not the haughty? that is, In the excellence of My wisdom I approve not of their doings, because, by being puffed up by luiman praise, they are bereft of the true glory of eternal reward. By not rejecting then his sentiments, but blaming the person who uttered them, He plainly teaches, as it were saying, I know what he says, but I know not the speaker: I approve of whatever is stated in accordance with truth, but I acknowIsdge not him who is elated by the truths he utters.

But to shew more plainly how disgracefully Eliu falls away in boastfulness of pride, we ought in the first place to set forth the character of a sound teacher; that from the straightness of this standard the deformity of his distortion may be clearly manifested. Every spiritual preacher then of the Church Catholic carefully examines himself in every thing he says, lest he should be elated with the sin of pride 1 on. account of his sound preaching; lest his conduct should ^ be at variance with his words ; lest that very peace which he preaches in the Church he should lose in his own person, by sound speaking and evil living. But it is his chief endeavour against the calumnious rumours of the adversaries to defend his conduct by his preaching, and to adorn his ! preaching by his life. And in all this he seeks not his own glory, but that of His Maker ; and considers that every gift of wisdom he has received for the purpose of preaching, as bestowed not for his own deserts, but through the intercessions of those for whom he speaks. And thus while he [ casts himself down, he rises higher and higher; because he doubtless makes greater progress in gaining his own reward, by ascribing to the merits of others the good gifts he is able to exercise. He counts himself unworthy of all men, even when he lives more worthily than all together.

For he is Eliu^s vame, parentage, and country eivplained. 9 aware that the good qualities which are known to the world riooK at large, can hardly exist in him without great peril. And^J^iill though he feels himself to be wise, he would wish to be really wise without aj^pearing so : and is especially afraid of that which is spoken of and gets abroad. And he seeks, if possible, to be silent, from perceiving that silence is safer for many, and considers that they are happier, whom a lower part in Holy Church conceals in silence ; and though, in defence of the Church, he takes on himself of necessity the duty of speaking, because he is urged by the force of charity, yet he seeks with earnest longing the rest of silence. The one he maintains as a matter of wish, the other he exercises as a matter of duty. But of such ways of speaking the proud are ignorant. For they speak not because causes arise, but seek for them to arise in order that they may speak. Of such Eliu is now a type, who in what he says sets himself up beyond measure, through the sin of pride. When the words then of blessed Job were ended it is added, These three men ceased to answer Job, because lie seemed j^y^ ^2 just in his own eyes. i* Tn the expression, because he seemed to be just in his own eyes, the author of this sacred history intended to refer to the opinion of Job's friends, and did not himself accuse him of being puffed up with pride. It follows : Ver. 2. And Eliu, the son of Barachel the Bnzite, of the kindred of Raui, was wroth and indignant-

The names either of himself, or of his parent, of his home, or kindred, furnish a mark of his own conduct. For Eliu being interpreted means, " That my God," or, " God the Lord.'' By whom, as we said to you, is designated the sound faith of proud men placed within the Church. Whence this very name of his is suited to them also. For though they live not according to the commandments of the Lord, they yet recognise God as their Lord, because in the truth of His flesh they realize also the form of the Godhead, as is said by the PYO\)hct, Know ye that the Lord He is God^^sAOO But Barachel, signifies when interpreted, '^ The blessing oi^God," but Buzite, " contemptible." And either of these expressions is well suited to proud preachers: because in the eloquence of their speech they enjoy the blessing of 10 EUu\s kindred. Ha Jinds fault ivith both sides. Job 32, Diviuc Grace, but in their proud manners they shew tliat it is : — to 1)0 despised. For the gifts which tliey have received they render contemptible, l)y not knowing how to usethein rightly. But he is fitly said to be also of the kindred of Jlam. For Ham signifies ^^ lofty." For lofty is the assembly of the faithful, which despises the low and abject things of this life. Phil. 3, Lofty are they who can say with Paul, Our conversation is in heaven.

Eliu therefore is said to be ' of the kindred of Ram,' because every haughty preacher within the bosom of the Church Catholic, is united to the holy People in the verity of the faith, however he may be separated from them in conduct by the sinfulness of his pride. It follows, But he was angry against Job, because he said he was Just before God. Moreover against his friends was he wroth, because they had not found reasonable answers, but had merely condemned Job. iii. 10. It must be carefully observed, that he blames blessed Job for professing himself just before God, but his friends because in condemning him they gave no reasonable reply. For it is plainly inferred, from these marks, that in him are characterized the lovers of vain glory. For he convicts Job of presuming on his righteousness, his friends of making a foolish answer. For all lovers of vain glory, >vhile they prefer themselves to all other, accuse some of folly, others of obtaining what they do not deserve: that is, they consider some to be ignorant, others to be evil livers. And though they may justly accuse of heresy all who are external to the Church, yet they despise those who are within for the meanness of their life, and pride themselves against the one from high notions of their sound faith, against the others as if from the merits of their good living.

But Eliu is well said to reprove at one time blessed Job, and at another time his friends: because the lovers of vain glory, living at times within the pale of Holy Church, both crush her opponents by preaching the truth, and oppose the customs of the same Holy Church in boasting of their preaching. They overwhelm the opponents of the Church by the power of their words, they oppress Holy Church by the way in which they utter them. They assail the one by preaching the truth, the other by their sin of pride. It follows. Tlie Church older than heresy^ proud teachers younger. 11 Ver. 4, 5. Elihu therefore waited while Job was speaking^ Book because they who were speaking were his elders. But when ■* he had seen that the three were not able to answer, he was very loroth.

Though Holy Church is unquestionably older than her adversaries, (for they went forth from her, not she from them, as is said of them by John, They went out from us, but they ^ '^^^^ were not of us,) yet Eliu is properly described as having been yoimger than these same adversaries. Because in truth after the contests wliich arose with heretics, haught}' men began to have place in the Church, pulfed up with the pride of learning. For when more grievous contests commenced with the enemy, there were certainly required some subtle dart-points of thought, oppositions of arguments, and a more involved research of words. And while men of glowing genius invent these weapons to suit the circumstances, they are frequently puffed up with pride, and (as is generally the case in the sin of pride) they are themselves made to fall by the same subtle meanings with which they assail the foe, while in what they think aright concerning God, they seek not God's glory, but their own. And hence is it that though Eliu says many things aright, he is yet reproved by the Divine voice, as though he had stated errors. But when it is said that Eliu waited while Job was speaking, because they who were speaking were his elders, it is plain that he obsened this respect to blessed Job not out of reverence for him, but for his friends; because, namely, haughty men though dwelling within Holy Church, despise that very body which they defend;

and it is commonly the case that they pay greater respect to the abilities of those who are wise to an evil purpose, than to the simple life of the innocent ; and that they shew greater regard to the eloquence of those without, than to the deserts of those within. And this, though they are opposed to both in opposite ways, as differing from the one in the soundness of their opinion, and from Holy Church in the perverseness of their character. It proceeds, Ver. 6, 7. And Eliu the son of BaracheU Ihe Buzite, ansicered and said, I am younger in age, but ye are more ancient. I therefore held down my head, and feared to shew 12 Arrof/anca in claimin(j (jifls as our own or merited. Job 31, you my opinion. For I was hoping that greater age would '- — speak, and that a midlitude of years would teach wisdom.

All these words, which are uttered by him throiigli swelling pride, must be rather glanced at by the way than expounded more attentively. For whatsoever is di;ficient in solid gravity, needs not any elaborate exposition. lUit I think 1 need only suggest in a few words, that YX\\\ v/as more wise, as long as he remained silent on account of his age, but that in despising a multitude of years in others, and setting himself above them, he shewed plainly his childish folly. For both greater age speaks, against his opinion, and wisdo'm is taught by multitude of years. Because, though length of life does not confer intelligence, yet it gives it much exercise by constant practice. It follows, Ver. 8. Bui, as I see, there is a spirit in 7nan, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding. vi. 13. He would be right in saying this, did he not arrogate to himself this same wisdom above all others. For it is no slight^ condemnation for a man to boast within himself of that advantage which is given to him in common with others to know whence he has received a good gift, and to know not how to use the good he has received. For there are four marks by which every kind of pride of the arrogant is pointed out, either when they think that they possess any good quality from themselves, or if they believe that it is given them from above, yet that they have received it in consequence of their own merits, or unquestionably when they boast of possessing that which they have not, or when they despise others, and wish to appear the sole possessors of what they have.

For he boasted that he possessed his good qualities from himself, to whom it is said by the Apostle, I Cor. 4, But what hast thou uhich thou didst not receive? why dost ^' thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it f Again, the same Apostle warns us not to believe that any gift of grace is given Eph. 2, us for our precedent deserts, when he says. By grace ye are saved through faith, a?id that not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any one should boast. iTim.i, Who says also of himself. Who before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and contumelious: but I oblained mercy. * Ber, ' prava,' a misprint for ' parva.' Also in clainii?i(/ falseli/, or exclusively. 13 For in these words he plainly declares, that f^racc is not Book given according to desert, when he taught us both what ^ he deserved of himself for his evil deeds, and what he obtained by God's benevolence. But again, some persons boast tliat they have that which they really have not, as the Divine Voice speaks of Moab by the Prophet; I knoiv ///^Jer. 48, pride and his arrogance^ and that his virtue is not accordinfj to if. And as is said to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, Because thou sai/esf, I am rich, and increased xvith goods, Rev. 3, a)td have need of nothing, and kiwivest not that thou arl^'wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Some again wish, in contempt of others, to appear to be the sole possessors of the good qualities which they have. Whence also the Pharisee went down from the temple without being justified, because by ascribing to himself as if in a singular manner the merit of good works, he preferred himself to the suppliant publican. The holy Apostles also are warned against this sin of pride; for on returning from their preaching, and saying with pride. Lord, even the devils are LukelO, subject to us through Thy name, to keep them from rejoicing in tins singular gift of miracles, the Lord at once replied to them, saying, / beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven. For he had himself said with special pride, I will^^-^'^^ exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit in the mount of the covenant, in the sides of the north; I uill be like the Most High. And the Lord, in order to bring down pride in the hearts of His disciples, related with wondrous wisdom the judgment of downfal, which the prince of pride himself underwent, that they might learn, from the author of pride, what they had to apprehend from the sin of haughtiness. ]n the fourth kind of pride then, namely, the boasting of the solo* possession of any thing it ])ossesses, the mind of man equally suffers a fall. But it is in this that it approaches more closely to a resemblance of Satan, because whoever rejoices at the singular possession of any good thing, whoever wishes to appear more exalted than others, plainly imitates him who in despising the blessing of the society of Angels, and placing his seat at the north, and proudly desiring to be like the Most High, endeavoured by his evil longing to shoot up to some singular preeminence.

Eliu 14 Eliu exalts himsflf in comparisoyi with hia elders. Job 32, then, though confossing that wisdom is given by God, yet — '- — falls in tliis species of pride, so as to rejoice that he is wiser than others, and foolishly to pride himself on possessing, as it were, a singular advantage. Which he points out in the words which follow, when he says, Ver. 9, 10, 11. Old men are not wise, neither do the aged understand judgment. There/ore I uill say, Hearken to ine, I will shew you my wisdom. For I waited for your words, I heard your wisdom, whilst ye were disputing in words: and as long as I thought that ye said something, I considered. vii. 14. As far as regards the literal meaning, Eliu proves to us, when he speaks, how proudly he remained silent. For when he says. For I waited for your words, and I was thinking that ye would say something, he plainly shews that he remained silent, while the aged were speaking, rather with the desire of judging, than with the wish of learning from them. Though these expressions are even a better description of the conduct of proud men, who, when at length brought within Holy Church, are accustomed on looking at her opponents, to consider not so much the years of their age, as the intention of their words. For however older the heretics may be than these same haughty men, they boldly overbear those persons in whose words they reprove false doctrine.

It follows, Ver. 12, 13. But, as I see, tJiere is no one of you who can convince Job, and reply to his words. Lest ye should perchance say, We have found out tvisdom; God hath cast him down, not man. viii.^ 15. Heretics, from {he fact that they are wont to appear \ contemptible even to men, when they behold Holy Church reverenced by well-nigh all nations, endeavour to impugn the opinion entertained of her by every possible objection; and say that she enjoys all abundance of temporal goods, because the gifts of eternal rewards are taken from her. Eliu meets the objections of such people, by saying. Lest ye should perchance say. We have found out wisdom; God hath cast him down, not man. As if they who are found within the Chm'ch, but are yet faithful, should say against the heretics. Because ye see that the Church stands high in this world. Proud men attack tJic Ckiirch, though not as heretics. 15 through the high opinion of men, ye must believe that God Book hath not cast her aside. For her Redeemer well knows how — * to administer comfort to her as she is travelling on in this her journey, and to keep in store for her the rewards of heaven, when she arrives at her eternal home. In vain then do ye assert that God hath cast her down, and not man, when ye behold her venerated by almost all men;

because the aid of worldly distinction is conferred on her in order that she may be assisted thereby in manifold ways to gain also the rewards of heaven. It follows, Ver. 14. He spake nothing to me, and I will not reply to him. according to your words, IG. What is meant by his saying. He spake nothing to me? For does holy Church, when she detects haughty men within her, ever omit to instruct and reprove them by preachers of righteousness? She exercises these duties, and ceases not to exercise them daily. But let Eliu, who had heard blessed Job speaking openly, say. He spake nothing to me; because doubtless, all haughty men, though they hear indeed the words of Holy Church, yet pretend that they are not addressed to them, when they make light of correcting the sin of pride. Nor do they think that they are reproved for their pride, for they look on themselves as humble ; and they also make light of reproof, when they count themselves much wiser even than their reprovers. But in saying, / will not ansiver him according to your words, he well says that he does not answer blessed Job with their speeches. For proud men within the pale of Holy Church reply against her, but yet not as heretics who are without. For they oppose her no.t by false teaching, but by evil living, because they do not tliink unworthily of God, as do heretics, but more highly than is necessary of their own selves.

It follows, Ver. 15. TJiey were afraid^ they answered no more, they removed speech from themselves. The friends of Job are well saidT to have been afraid of the words of Eliu, since frequently proud defenders of the Church, though they do not observe due order in what they *2iy> yet confound the adversaries by the very virtue of their words. It follows, U) Ellu, eager for diaplny^ like an uncovered vessel. Job 32, Vcr. 16. Because therefore I have waited, and then have 16. 17. ^ J — '- — not spoken, tJiey have stood, and have answered no more. X. 17. Wise men are accustomed to make it the limit of their spealiing, to speak so far as to silence their adversaric^s. For they wish not to display tlieir own pov\'ers, but to put down the teachers of heresy. But after it is said of the friends of Job, Thej/ were afraid, they answered no more, they removed speech from thonselves, Eliu subjoins and says, / have waited, and they have not spoken ; they have stood, and have answered no more. Even when they are already silent, he yet multiplies his words, because, being an arrogant man, and representing the character of the arrogant, he is in haste not merely to refute the arguments of his opponents, but to display his own wisdom. Whence it also follows, Ver. 17. / will also answer my part, and I will display my knowledge.

For every proud man considers this to be his part, if he does not so much possess, as make a show of, knowledge. For all proud men are anxious not to possess knowledge, but to make a display of it: against whom Moses well says, Numb. Every vessel which hath not a cover nor binding over it shall he unclean. For the covering or the binding is the reproof of discipline, and every one who is not kept under by it is rejected as an unclean and polluted vessel. And was not Eliu a vessel without a cover, who had considered it to be his part to make a show of the w^isdom which he possessed? For he who lays himself open by his desire of display, and is not covered by the veil of silence, is polluted as a vessel without cover or binding. But holy preachers consider that they are performing their part, if they rejoice in themselves at their own wisdom within, and if they outwardly keep back others from error. Nor do they so far go out of themselves in speaking, as to place the delight of their mind in an outward display of eloquent language. But they meditate on the benefits of wisdom in the secret of their heart, and there rejoice when they perceive it; and not when they are obliged to make it known amidst the snares of so many temptations. Although when they make known the good which they receive, yet charity steps in, and they rejoice at the progress of their hearers, and not at their own display.

But the Good men prefer silence; if, pains the arrogant. 17 arrogant on gaining any knowledge think that they have Book gained nothing, if it so happens that they keep it concealed. 'For they place their happiness no where but in the praise of men. It is hence that the foolish virgins are said to haveMat.25, taken no oil in their vessels ; because such as be arrogant, * if perchance they keep themselves from any vices, cannot confine to their own consciences the credit of the glory. But Paul had taken oil in his own vessel, who said, 0//?'2Cor. i, glory is this, the testimony of our conscience. To carry then ^^' an empty vessel, is with a heart empty within to seek for the judgment of men's lips from without. Because Eliu, then, when seeking for glory from without, has not oil within his vessel, he well says, / mill answer my part, and I will display my learning. And in the words which follow he shews what are his sufferings, from vain-glory raging within, saying, Ver. 18 — 20. I am full of tcords, the spirit of my womh constraineth me. Behold, my belly is as new zmne tvithout a vent, which bursts in sunder new vessels. I ivill speak, and will take breath awhile; I will open my lips and answer.

When boastful men observe that holy preachers speak eloquently, and are reverenced for their eloquence, they frequently imitate the loftiness of their language, and not their useful intention. They are far from loving what the others desire, but are especially anxious to gain great renown amongst men. For it is frequently the case that wise men, when they find that they are not listened to, impose silence on their lips. But frequently when they see that the sins of the ungodly gain strength when they are silent, and cease to reprove, they endure a kind of violence in their spirit, so that they burst forth in language of open reproof. And hence when the Prophet Jeremiah had imposed on himself silence in preaching, saying, / will not make mention ofjer, 20 Him, nor speak any more in His Name; he immediately^* added. And there was made as it were a burning fire in my bosom, and shut up in my bones: and I was wearied, not being able to bear it; for I have heard the insults of many. For, seeing that he was not listened to, he wished to hold his peace ; but when he beheld evil increasing, he no longer VOL. III. c 1 8 Zedl sdekff to amend others, pride to display self, JfB 32, persisted in the same silence. For when he ceased to speak —^ — ■ without, from being wearied of S])eaking% he felt a flame kindled within him by the zeal of charity.

For the hearts of the just burn within ihem, when they behold the deeds of the ungodly ^ain strength from not being re])roved, and they believe that they are themselves partakers in the guilt of those, whom they allow, by their own silence, to go on in iniquity. The prophet David, after he had imposed silence Ps.39,i.on himself, saying, I have set a guard upon my mouth, while the sinner stood against me. I ivas dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence even from good tilings: in the midst of his silence blazed forth with this zeal of charity, when he Ps.39,3. immediately subjoined; My sorrow ivas renewed, wy heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a Jive shall jiame out. His heart grew hot within him, because the flame of charity refused to burst forth in words of admonition. The fire burned in the meditation of his hearty because his reproof of the ungodly had ceased to flow on ^ith the chiding of his lips. For the zeal of charity tempers itself with wonderful consolation, as it gains strength, when it bursts forth in words of reproof against the deeds of the ungodly, in order that it may not cease to reprove the faults which it cannot amend, lest it should convict itself of partaking in their sins, by consent of keeping silence.

But because certain vices frequently assume the guise of virtues, as, for instance, lavishness wishes to appear like pity, stinginess like frugality, cruelty like justice ; in like manner, a desire for empty glory, being unable to keejD itself within the bounds of silence, inflames like the zeal of charity, and the powerful desire of ostentation impels a person to speak without restraint, and the desire of display breaks out, as if with the wish of offering advice. For it cares not what good it can effect by its speaking, but what show it can make : nor is it anxious to correct the evil which it beholds, but to display the good which it feels. Hence Eliu also, swollen by the spirit of pride, and unable to keep himself \er. 18. within the barriers of silence, says, I am full of words, the spirit of my icomb consiraineth me; behold, my belly is as new wine without a vent which bursts in sunder new vessels. c Comma after ' locutionis,' as the rhythm and the sense both require. Arroyance icould pass for zeal. Self to he first cor reeled. 19

If we must understand this passage spiritualh, b\Book ■ XVITT * belly' he means the secret recesses of the heart. lUit by : new wine is understood the warmth of the Holy Spirit, of which the Lord says in the Gospel, They p id new tvine i///oMatt.9, new skins. For when the Apostles were filled suddenly therewith, and were speaking in every tongue, it was said by the Jews, who knew not the truth and yet bare witness to it. These men are full of new irine. But by vessels we underActs 2 stand not inappropriately either consciences which arc weak^from their very estate of humanity, or certainly those earthly vessels of our bodies; of which the Apostle Paul says, fVe^Cor.i, have I his treasure in earthen vessels. But because Eliu, as we before observed, was so pufled up and swollen with pride, as though he were kindled within, to speak through the grace of charity, by the fire of the Holy Spirit, compares the spirit, which he felt within him when silent, to new wine without a vent. And he well says. Which bursts asunder new vessels, because the fire of the Holy Spirit is scarcely kept in by the new life, much less by the old. The neAV wine then bursts asunder new vessels, because by its violent heat it is too much even for spiritual hearts. / will speak, and I will take ver. 20. breath a little;

I will open my lips and answer. He well says, / will take breath, for as it is a distress to the holy to behold wickedness, without amending it ; so is it a heavy distress to the boastful, if they do not display the wisdom they possess. For they can scarcely endure the violence which boils within them, if they are rather behindhand in making known every thing which they think. And hence, when any good deed is taken in hand, all pride on account of it must first be overcome in the heart, lest, if it should proceed from the root of a bad motive, it should bring forth the bitter fruits of sin.

These then, who are as yet engaged in a contest with their sins, ought never to undertake to rule over others by exercising the ofl^ice of preaching. And this is the reason, why, according to the command of the Divine dispensation, the Levites serve the tabernacle from their twentyNumb. fifth year, but from their fiftieth become the guardians ^' ^^* of the sacred vessels. For what is meant I)}' the five and twentieth year, when youth is in its full vigour, but the c 2 20 A(/(; of Lc Kites It/ pa of spirifital alldinmenl. Time short. Job 32, contests against each separate sin? And what is expressed — '- — ^by the liftieth, in which is signified also tlie rest of the Jubilee, but the repose of the mind within, when the contest has come to an end ? But what is shadowed forth l)y the vessels of the tabernacle, except the souls of the faithful ? The liCvites, therefore, serve the taVjernacle from their five and twentieth year, and take charge of the vessels from their fiftieth, to shew that they who endure, through pleasurable consent, the contest with sins which still assault them, should not presume to take the charge of others : but that when they have been successful in their contests with temptations, by which they are assured of inward tranquillity, they may then undertake the care of souls. But who can perfectly subdue these assaults of temptations, when Paul Horn.

7, says, I see anoihei' law in my members^ warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the laiv of sin f But it is one thing boldly to endure contests, another to be unnerved by them and overcome. In the first case virtue is kept in exercise, to secure it from being puffed up ; in the other, it is quite quenched that it cease to be. He then who knows how to endure with boldness the temptation of the contest, even when he feels its shock, sits on high in the lofty citadel of peace. For he sees that the assaults of sin are, even when within him, subject to his power, since he does not yield his consent to them, from being overcome by any pleasure. It follows : Ver. 21, 22. / will not accept the person of man ^ I will not equal God to man; for 1 know not how long I shall continue^ or whether after a while my Maker may take me away. xii. 22. Most judiciously he does not make God equal to man, since he knows not how long he may continue, or when in the judgment of God be taken away. And he w^ell says, After a ivhile my Maker may take me away; for however long is the period of the present life, it is short, from the very fact, that it is not enduring.

For that which is confined within circumscribed limits has no claim to be considered lasting. But in the midst of these sentences which he utters, based on solid truth, he again bursts out into words of pride, saying, EliiCs boasting, Riyht manner of teaching, humble. 21 Chap, xxxiii. ver. 1, '2. IVlierefore, Job, hear my speecJies, Book " •'' XX 111 and hearken to all mg words. Behold, I have opened mg~ mouth ; let my tongue speak in my throat.

Let us consider from what a height of pride he comes down in admonishing Job to listen to him, in saying that he had opened his mouth, in promising that his tongue would speak in his throat. For the teaching of the boastful has this peculiarity, that they cannot modestly suggest what they teach, and cannot communicate in a right manner the truths they hold rightly. For they make it plain by their words that they fancy themselves, when teaching, to be seated on some lofty eminence, and that they look upon their hearers as standing far beneath them, as on lower ground, as persons whom they hardly deign to address, not in the tone of advice, but of authoritv. Well does the Lord address them bv the Prophet, But ye ruled them ivith austerity and power, ForEz. 34, they rule with austerity and power, who are eager to correct ' those under them, not by calmly reasoning, but to bend them by the severity of command.

But sound teaching, on the other hand, the more earnestly avoids this sin of pride in thought, the more eagerly it assails with the shafts of its words the teacher of pride himself. For it takes heed lest it be rather preaching him by a haughty demeanour, whom it assails with holy words in the hearts of its hearers. For it endeavours to state in its words, and to set forth in its doings, humility, which is the mistress and mother of all virtues, in order that it may enforce it on the disciples of truth more by its conduct than by its words. Whence Paul in speaking to the Thessalonians, as if he had forgotten the height of his own Apostleship, We became as children in the midst of you. i Thess. Whence the Apostle Peter, when saying, Ever ready to satisfy i'pet.3, every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, ^^' asserted that in the science of teaching the manner of one's teaching is to be strictly attended to, by subjoining. But withih. 16. modesty and fear, having a good conscience. But in that which the Apostle Paul says to his disciple, These things iTwnA, exhort and teach with all authority; he does not recommend ^^-J. g the tyranny of power, but the authority of his life. For that ^^' is enjoined with authority which is practised before it is 22 Aulhorily of Fj^atnple, How to he hiunhla in corrcctirnj.

Job 33^ advised. For u lion conscience makes tlic tongue falter, it — '—^ detracts from the auiliorily of one's talkin/^. Ife did not recommend him therefore the authority of haughty words, but the confidence of" good conduct. Wlience it is f^:dd of Matt. 8, the Lord, Ho teas teackUnj as haviiuj aulhorily, not as the Scribes and Pharisees. For lie alone in a singular and peculiar manner spoke with sound authority, because He had committed no sins from infirmity. For He possessed that from the power of His Godhead, which He has bestowed in us through the sinlessness of His Manhood.

For we, because we are feeble men, when we come to speak of God to our fellows, should first of all call to mind our own nature, and thus consider from our own infirmities in what order we should offer advice to our weakly brethren. Let us consider then that we are either now such as some of those whom we are correcting, or were heretofore such, though by the operation of Divine Grace we are so no longer: that in humility of heart we may correct them with greater forbearance, the more traly we recognise ourselves in the persons of those whom we correct. But if we are neither novv such, nor have been such as those still are whom we are anxious to improve; for fear our heart should perchance be proud, and should fall the more fatally by reason of its very innocence, let us recal to our eyes the other good qualities of those whose faults we are coiTecting. If they have not any such, let us fall back on the secret judgments of God. Because as we have received this very good, which we possess, for no deserts of our own; so is He able to pour on them the grace of power from above, so that though roused to exertion after ourselves, they may be able to outstrip even those good qualities which we received so long before. For who could believe that Saul, who kept at his death the raiment of those that were stoning him, would surpass Stephen who » merihad been stoned, by the honour* of the Apostleship.

Our serviced ^^^^'^ ought then to be first humbled by these thoughts, and then the sin of offenders should be reproved. But as has been often said, Eliu is shewn to be unacquainted with this mode of speaking, who is puffed up in his words, by the haughtiness of prid^, as if by the power of a kind of authoJob33, rity, ssiyiug, Wherefore Job hear my speeches, and hearken Feigned humility. Assumed mnplicity. 23 to all my words. Behold I have opened my mouth, let my Book tongue speak in my throat, ■

To speak in the throat is to speak softly, and not to vociferate loudly. In whicli words he designates haughty i men living within holy Church. For these arc said to speak as if in the throat, when they do not clamour against the adversaries who are without, but reprove some within the bosom of holy Church, as if they were neighbours and placed near them. But haughty men often make a show of avoiding that very pride, which they entertain ; and while they do all things so as not to escape the notice of any one, they privately mention them to particular persons, in order that they may boast not merely of their sense of wisdom, but also of their contempt of arrogance before men. Whence it is now said, Let my tongue speak in my throat. As if it were plainly said, Behold, I whisper that which I think wisely against thee. But they sometimes break out into such a heiglit of impudence, as, when others are silent, to be accustomed to praise their own sayings. Whence he subjoins, Yer. 3. 3Iy words are from my simple heart, and my lips shall speak a pure sentence.

To say that speech is simple, is a praise of great weight. But because the haughty possess it not, they assert the more anxiously^ that they possess it, in order that they may be heard with less apprehension. And they declare that they are going to speak with pure intention, because they are afraid of their wicked duplicity being discovered. But they often also blend together truth and falsehood, that their falsehood may be the more speedily believed, from its being disceraed that they speak the truth. Because then Eliu both said that he would speak with pure intention, and by calling his words ' sentences' ushered them in with applause, he subjoins the same ' sentence' which he promised, saying, Ver. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.