Morals on the Book of Job (Moralia)

84. What do we take ' Ethiopia' for, save the present lh. world, which same by darkness of hue denotes a sinning people in the foulness of its merits. But sometimes by the name of Ethiopia the Gentile world in a special manner is used to be denoted, as being before black by the sins of unbelief. Which same on the Lord's coming, the Prophet Habakkuk beheld affrighted with fear, and says, The ten/suab.3, of the Ethiopians tremble with dread, the tents of the land'' of Madian. David also, the Prophet, seeing that the Lord should come for the redeeming of Judaea, but that first the Gentile world should believe, and afterwards Judaea should follow, (as it is written, Until the fulness of the Rom. Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved,) says, ^ 2o'

Manhood in < hrisi never apart from Godhead,

Job as, Ethiopia, het hand shall be first to God} i..'before thai Judtca believes, the Gentile world beinc hlaek with sins Ps.68, offers itsell to Almighty God to be saved. Non the topaz is a precious stone, and because in the Greek tongue to pan is the word for ' every thing,1 on this account) thai it shines hi wiili every colour, ii is called ' topazium,1 as if ' topantium-1 But when the Gentile world being turned to ( lod believed, nnmbers from out thereof v enriched with the gifl of His Spirit, that as with many colours, so with many virtues they Bbone 1 >ii^l 1 1. lint lest anj man be lifted up b) the virtues he has received, it is now ^.n ■ 1 by the holy man. The topaz of Et '"'II not equal it.

kt though he said in plain words; ' V. one ol the Saints, with however many virtues he maj be filled, yel as being gathered out of this blackness of the world tan equal Him,

1;- conci rning Whom it is written, That holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. For we, though m arc made holy, yet air not born holy, because by the mere constitution of a corruptible nature we arc tied and bound, that we should Bay with the Prophet, /'■ hola\ I - ehapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother cond me. Bui He only is trulj born holy, Who in order that He might gel the belter of thai same constitution of a corruptible nature, was not conceived by the combining of carnal conjunction.

To this Wisdom as it were a Kind of ' topaz from i v.. Ethiopia wished to equal itself,1 when a certain heresiarch' s.iid, ' 1 do not envy Christ being made God, because, if I wish even I myself may be made bo.' Who imagined our Lord Jesus Christ t<> be God, not bj the mysterj of Mis com option, but by the promotion "t' grace, arguing by misconstrued proofs that He was born simple man, but in order to be < i < »d that lie had advanced by merit, and Dii this account reckoning that both himself and any others might hi made coequal with Him, which same are made the children of God h\ grace, not understanding nor minding that tin- topaz from Et h i"/>/u u /mt equal t" Him. For it is one thing for those horn men to receive the grace ol adoption, and another for one by the power of Godhead pn - eminently n« have come forth God from the very conception.

Neither is it possible thai to the glory of the Only-begotten, Boo« possessed bj nature, another glory should be equal, received ■ ' by grace. For the Mediator between God and man, the 1 Tim. Man Christ Jesus, is not as this one raves one person in His ' human nature, and another person in the Divine nature. \ni conceived and brought forth simple man, did be afterwards obtain of merit that He should be God. Hut the Angel announcing it, and the Spirit coming, at once th< Word in the womb, at once within the womb the Word made flesh, (that unchangeable Essence likewise remaining to Him which He has coeternal together with the Father and the Holy Spirit,) did take upon Him within the bowels of the Virgin that whereby He might both being Impassible sillier pas-ion. and Undying Buffer death, and whilst Eternal before the world be a temporal beiug in the end of the world, that through an unutterable mystery, by a holy conception and an inviolate birth, in accordance with the verity of both natures, the same Virgin should be at once the handmaid and mother of the Lord. For so is it said to her by Elisabeth; Whence is litis; to me lliat the mother qfmyi^atel, Lord should come to me? And the Virgin herself at her conception said, Behold the handmaid oj tht Lord. Be ii unlo^-^s. me according to thy /cord. And though He the same Being is one thing from the Father, and another thing from the Virgin, yet lie is not one Person from the Father, and another Person from the Virgin. Hut the same Person is Eternal from the Father and the same a temporal being from the.Mother, the same Who made is the same That was made, the same beautiful in Join* above tin' children of men ini'-.i;..-'. respect of the Divine nature, and the same of whom it is written; We saw Him, and there was no shew, and He hath is.5:j,2.

not form nor comeliness, in respect of the human nature. The same before the world from the Father without mother, and the same at the end of the world from the Mother without lather. The same a Temple, the >.ime the Buildei of the Temple. The same the.Maker of the work, and the same the Work of the Maker, remaining our Person from both and in both natures, neither being confounded by the conjunction of nature-, nor doubled by the distinctness ol natures. Hut because it is not these points that we have VOL. II. c c

886 Vonemay compare with Christ. I irtuenotmantsbynatvn Job S8, taken upon us to treat of, let us return to our course of vf>'. W i arc t<> take note that the holy man, in order to shew that the Angels are widely distant from this Wisdom. Bays, Fine (/old shall not he given for it. Which same that he might exhibit the ancient Fathers likewise, dealers with sacred Revelation, as inferior, added, Nor shall silver b< weighed in exchange thereof. Moreover that he might point out that the wisdom of the philosopher is far beneath this Wisdom, he brought in; Nor shall it be compared t<> tin dyed colours of India* And he subjoined, Nor to tin most precious sardonyx stone, nor to the sapphire. Furthermore in order that he might shew that in that city Above no one attains to equality with the Only-begotten, he added; The (jotd or 1 lie glass cannot equal it. That he might make it appear that the Prophets likewise were beneath It, he added; Neither shall vessels of gold high and overtopping be exchanged instead of' if. Nor shall the// be mentioned in comparison with her. For Wisdom is drawn from out of sight. Whilst at the last, that he might rebuke the very heretics in the Church themselves as well, who on coming from the error of the Gentile world, split through pride the faith which they receive, he added; The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it. As though he taught in plain words, saying; These, who from the blackness of sin come to conversion, cannot equal God-Man, though they may seem to shine bright with many virtues for colours. And that their pride might be thrown over, it is fitly added,

Neither shall the purest dyes be brought into comparison. jjj; 87. For those are called ' the purest dyes1 who an genuinely humble, and genuinely holy, who know that from themselves indeed they have not the shew of virtuous attainments, but that they hold this by the gift of accessory grace. For they would not be ' dyed,' if they had possessed holiness by nature. But they arc 'the purest dyes' because they keep in themselves with humility the superinduced grace of virtues which they have been vouchsafed. Hence it is that it is said by the voice of tin1 Spouse concerning Holy Church; Cant. 6, Who is this that cometh up blanched? For because Holy Church has not n heavenly life by nature, but on the Spirit.

described not as white but as ' blanched.' And observe, that - when he said a hove, Nor shall it be compared to the dyed colours of India, those same colours he did not bring in 1 pure;' but in this place that he might distinguish the dye of true virtues from that staining of the philosophers, whilst speaking of dyes, he added ' the purest.' For those are rightly called ' the purest dyes,' who were aforetime foul through wicked deeds, yet, the Spirit coming upon them, are clothed with the brilliancy of grace, that they should appear to be far other than they were. Whence also ' Baptism,' i. e. ' dyeing1,' is the name given to our own descending into the ' ' tjnewatcr itself. Since we are dyed, and we, who were before unsightly by the deformity of bad habits, on the faith being received are rendered beautiful by grace and the adornment of virtues. It goes on;

Ver. 20,21. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing that it is hid from the eyes of all living.

88. It deserves to be especially considered, that it is asked liv. by the holy man, whence Wisdom cometh. For It ' comes' from Him from Whom It sprung. Now because It is born of the Invisible and Coeternal Father, the way thereof is hidden. Whence too it is said by the Prophet, And?cho!s.53,$. shall declare His generations? Now ' the place of the understanding of her' is the mind of man, which mind the Wisdom of God when it has filled makes holy. And so because both He is invisible, from Whom It came forth, and it is doubtful to us in whose mind It rests as being understood, it is rightly said now, Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? But this is very wonderful that it is directly brought in; seeing that it is hidden from the eyes of all tiring. For if the Wisdom, which is God, had been ' hidden from the eyes of all living,' then surely this Wisdom no one of the Saints would have seen. But see, I hear John agreeing with this sentence, who says, No man hath seen God at any time. And again, when 1 1 John look at the Fathers of the Old Testament, I learn that4' 12' many of those, as the very history of the Sacred Reading is witness, did see God. Thus Jacob saw the Lord, who says,

Most i (tin! others saw God only by n semblana.

For I have seen C f and my life is preserved

M likewise saw God, of wli.un it is writtt in, And the

Lord spake unto \l, sesface to fact. as <t man speaketh unto i teeth Thee. Isaiah saw the Lord, who Baith, /// the year that king Uzziah died I sun- the Lord sitting upon </ throne i KingsAt'ff/j mill lifted up. Micbaiah saw the Lord, who saith, I

heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.

Testament have witnessed that they have seen God, and yet concerning this Wisdom, which is God, it is said, Seeing ihnl ii is hid from the eyes of all living? And John saith,

Vo man hath seen God at any time. Seeing this, which is plainly given ns to and rsl rid, thai so long as we live here a mortal life, God may be Been by certain semblances, but by the actual appearance of His Nature lie cannot be Bei o, bo that the soul being inspired with the grace of the Spirit

Bhould by certain figures behold God, but not attain to the actual power of Mi- For hence it is that

■ l). who bears witness that he had seen God, saw Him not savt iu an Angel. Hence it is that Mos< a who ' talked with God l.wr to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,1 i.;: in the midst of the very words of his speaking, says, //

';'• / Imrr found grac in Thij sight j shew Thyself manifestly in me, that I may see Thee. For assuredly if it were not

' ''" ' (iod with whom he was talking, he would have said, ' Shew me God,' and not - Shew me Thyself.' Hut if it was God, with Whom he was speaking ' lace to race,' wherefore did he pray to see Him, Whom be was seeing? But from this requesting of his, it is inferred that Him he was athirst to perceive in the brightness of His Incomprehensible nature, Whom he had already begun to see by certain semblance s, that so the heav( nly Essence might be present to the eyes of hi> mind, in order that for the vision of Kternity there might not 1"' interposed to him any created semblance with the circumstances <>l time. And so the Fathers of the old Lincnl saw the Lord, and yet according to the voice ot John, No man lialh seen God m anytime; and according to the sentence of blessed Job, the Wisdom Which is God Boob is ' hid from the eyes of all living,' because \<\ persons settled in this mortal life He was both able to be seen in certain comprehensible images, and not able to be seen in the Incomprehensible Lighl of Eternity.

s!)- Bui it' it is so, thai by some while still living in this corruptible flesh, yel growing in incalculable power by a certain piercingness of contemplation, the Eternal Brightness is able to be seen, this too is not at variance with the sentence of blessed Job, who says, Seeing that it is hid from the eyes of all living; because he that sees ' Wisdom,' Which is Cod, wholly and entirely dies to this life, that henceforth he should not be held by the love thereof. For no one has seen Her, who still lives in a carnal way, because no man can embrace God and the world at one and the same time. He who sees (bid dies by the mere circumstance alone, that either by the bent of the interior, or by the carrying out of practice, he is separated with all his mind from the gratifications of this life. Hence yet further it is said to that same Moses too; For there shall no man see E*. 33, Me, and live. As though it were plainly expressed, ' No20, man ever at any time sees God spiritually and lives to the world carnally.1 Hence Paul the Apostle too, who as yet had learnt the invisible things of God, as he himself testifies, rt, related that henceforth he was dead all over to this 1 Cor. world, saying, By Whom (he world is crucified unto me, and™'1*' I unto the world. For as we have already said far above, it 14. ' is not enough for him to say, / <im crucified to the world, except lie also first out with, The world is crucified to me, that he might not only bear witness that he was dead to the world, but also that the world was dead to himself, so that neither he himself should covet the world, nor the world henceforth covet him. For if perchance there he two in one place, of whom one is alive, and the other dead, though the dead person does not see the living, yet the live one does see the dead. Now the Preacher of God, in order that he might shew that by the abasement whereby he had cast himself down in humbling himself he was now become such, that neither he himself longed after the world, nor the world after him; not only says that he was crucified

' een 111 Ihs Essena by Saint* and Angels, j,to the world, thai he himself aa one dead should not set the glorj of the world, that he might long after, but likewise declared the world crucified to him, wherein he had cast himself down i<> the ground with such humility, that the world it—* 1 J likewise,.1- If dead to him, could not now at all so P nl;is tiring humble and despised.

90. But we arc to know tint there were some persona, who said thai even in tint region <>f Hessidm ss God ii beheld indeed in lli^ Brightness, but far from beheld in His Nature. Which persona surely too little exactness ol enquiry deceived. For not to thai simple and unchangeable I - in r is Brightness one thing, and Nature another; but Its very Nature is to It Brightness, and the rery Bright- Q( ss is Nature. For that to Its votaries the Wisdom of God Bhould one day display Itself, He Himself pl<

JohnH, His word, saying, He that loveth Me, shall be loved of My

Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. As though He said in plain terms, ' Ye wh<

Mr in your nature, it remains tliat ye should see Me in

•"■•.Mine own nature.' Hence He says again; Blessed are

1,. the pure in heart, for they shall I Hence Paul to face; now I know in part, then shall J know even as

91. But because it is said concerning God by the first 1 Pet. 1, preacher of the Church, Whom /!/<■ Angels desire to look upon, there are souk who imagine that even the Angels

Devi God; and yet we Know that it is spoken bj a

Mat. 18, & ni' nee of Truth, In heaven their Angels do always f» hold

'"■ the face of 1/y Father, Which is in heaven. Does, then,

Truth sound one thing and the preacher of truth another J lint if both b< otenci - he compared together, it i- ascertained, that they are not at all at \ arianee w ith one another. Fot the Angels at once Bee and desire- to se< God, and thirsl to behold and do behold. For ii they so desire to see Him thai the} never at all enjoy the carrying out of their desire, d< Bire has anxielj without fruit, and anzietj has punishmentt Bui th< bl< - '1 Vngels are far r< moved from all punishment of anxiety, b< level can punishment and blessedness

V-.uii. when v. e i\ that these Angela are satisfied with the vision of God, because the Psalmist too Boob -a\>, / shall be satisfied when I awak< with Thy likeness. w^ are to consider thai upon satisfying there follows dis-is. gust So then, tli.u thr two may rightly agree together, [el Truth say, Ma/ they always see; and let theexcellenl Preacher say, ih it they always desire la see* For thai there be not anxiety in desire, in desiring they arc satisfied, and that there be not disgust in their satisfying, whilst being satisfied they desire. And therefore they desire without suffering, because desire is accompanied by satisfying. And they are satisfied without disgust, because the very satisfying itself is ever being inflamed by desire. So also shall we too one day be, when we shall come to the fountain of life. There shall l>c delightfully stamped upon us at one and the same time a thirsting and a satisfying. But from the thirsting nec< ssity is far absent, and disgust far from that satisfying, because at once in thirsting we shall be satisfied, and in being satisfied we shall thirst Therefore we shall see God, and it shall be the very reward of our labour, that after the darkness of this mortal state we should be made glad by His light being approached unto.

92. But when we talk of His light being approached, that presents itself to the mind which Paul says, Dwelling! Tim. in the light which no i/kui can approach unto, Whom no ///a//'' 1(j' lialli seen, >i>>r can sec. And again, 1 hear what the Psalmist says; Approach unto Him, and be enlightened. How then rs.34,5. by approaching are we enlightened, if • not the rery

Light by which we are able to be enlightened? But if by approaching to Him we sec the very Light wh reby we are enlightened, how is it declared to be unapproachable? Wherein it deserves to be considered that he called it unapproachable, but to every man that minds the things of men. Sim-.- sacred Scripture is used to mark all the followers of carnal things with the designation of the being' men.' Whence the same Apostle says to certain persons at strife, Forn u hereas there is among you envying and strife mid divisions, J 3' *' ye)n>/ carnal, and walk as men? To which he soon rards appends, Are ye not men? And hence he 1 where brought forward the testimony: Eyt hath not seen.i or ear in.inl, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which '.'<"/ Imili prepared for Hum that love Hun. Pboph. • 11.'

\iid win ii be bad describe d this as bidden from ' men, he

' "r-' aildrtl directly. Bui God hath revealed them unto us by His

Spirit; separating liis own silt' from the designation <>l 'man* in that having been transported al >< >\ «.■ man h< now t. i - 1 * < 1 what is divine. So also iii this place, when he told.'t' the lighl of <i<>(l being unapproachable, thai he might shew to what persons unapproachable, he added, n h>>m no man hath teen, no nor can see. After his manner calling

" nun* all whose tastr is for things of man. Because they who have a taste for what is tlivhu', are doubtless above men Therefore we shall see God, it' by a beavenlj convex sation we obtain to be above men. Not yet that we shall so - e Mini as He Himself Bees His very ^wn Self. For the tor set b 1 Limself in a way far unlike to that in which the creature sees the Creator. For as to the unmeasurablenesi of • Sod there is a certain measure of contemplation Bet to us, because we are limited by the mere freight that we are a i n ature.

But assuredly we do not bo behold God, as He Himself, as we <h> not so rest in God, as He rests in Himself. For our sight or our rest will be to a certain degree like to I Ii- sight or I lis nst, but not equal to it. For lest we Bhould l>r prostrate in ourselves, the wing of contemplation, so to say, uplifts us, and we are carried up from ourselves for the beholding Him, and being carried away by the benl of the heart ami the Bweetness of contemplation, in;i certain manner go away from ourselves into Himself, and now this m r\ going away of mns i.s not t" rest, and yel so to go is must perfectly t<> rest And so it is perfect n b1 because timl is discerned, and yet it is not to be equalled to His rest, Who doth not pass on from Himself into another, that Mi- may rest Ami therefore the rest is, so to say, like and unlike, because what His rest is, our rest imitates. For i li.it we may be blessed and eternal for everlasting, we imitate the (Everlasting. And it is a great eternity tons to h.- imitating eternity. \"i are we ueritless of Him Whom we

Lat< because in seeing we partake, and in partaking

Vision of God begun here by faith. 898 imitate Him. Which same sight is now begun by faith, Book bat is then perfected in Appearance, when we drink at the - — — ■ very springhead the Wisdom coeternal with God which we now derive through the lips of those that preach, as it were in running streams.

Mtst. 1. What wonder is it if the Eternal ' Wisdom1 of God is not able to be seen, when the n iry invisible things themselves as well, which were created thereby, cannot!>•• embraced by the eyes of men? So thru by things created we learn with what self-abasement t<> revere the Creator of all things; bo thai in this life tin- human mind should not dare i" usurp to itself aught belonging to the Appearance of Mmighty < rod, which He reserves for lli^- Bled only as their reward in the ensuing Recompensing. Whence after it was said. // is hid from th>> eyes of all living, we have the words thereupon introduced next;

Chap, x.wiii. 21. And is kept close also from the fowls of the "/'/■. i. 'J. For in Holy Scripture' birds1 are Bometimes given to be understood in a had sense, and sometimes in a good si ose. Since by the birds of the air occasionally the powers of the air are denoted, being hostile to the settled purposes of good men. Whence il is said by the mouth of Truth, And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls of ///<• air came and devoured it; in this way. because evil spirits besetting the minds of men, whilst they brin bad thoughts, pluck the word of life <>ut <>t' the memory.

Ilin it is said to a certain rich man full of proud

i. nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His Head,

For foxes are very cunning animals, that hide themselves in ditches and caves; and when they lace the light, they in \ er 11111 iii Btraight courses, bul alwaj b by crooked doublings.

• Fowls of the air" in good and bad tense.:3!>G

Hut the birds as we know with lofty flight lift themselves '!"°k and cunning d< mons, and by the title of tin- ' birds of the air' these Bame proud demons air denoted. As if lie said,

* The deceitful and uplifted demons find their habitation in your heart; i. e. in the imagination ofpride,"but the Son of

Man hath not where to lay His Bead/ i. e. ' My humility findeth not rot in your proud niind.' For as by a kind of flight that first bird lifted itself up, which said in the uplifted exalt my throne "hove the.slurs of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Mark how he in Hying sought the regions on high with pride. Which same flight also he recommended to the first of human kind as well. For they themselves by Hying as it were tried to go above their own selves, when it was told them that they should taste and be like gods. And while they seek after the likeness of the Deity, they lost the blessings of immortality, which same would not by dying have gone into the earth, if they had hern willing to stand with humility upon the earth.

3. But, on the other hand, ' the birds of the air1 are wout to he put in a good sense, as in the Gospel the Lord, when 1I«' was declaring a likeness of the kingdom of heaven by;i grain of mustard Beed, said, Unto what is the kingdom Luiei3, of heaven like? and whereunto shall 1 resemble it? II is like a grain >>i' mustard seed, which a man took mid cast inlu his garden, "ml it grew and waxed >> great tree, (hid the fouls of the air lodged in the branches of it. For He is Himself a grain of mustard seed,' Who, when He was planted in the burial place of the garden, rose up a great tree. For He was ' a grain, ' whereas He died, but ' a tree/ when.is lie rose again. ' A grain,' through the abasement of the flesh, 'a live,' through the mightiness of His Majesty. 'A grain,' because we have seen Him, and He was »o/i8.63,2. regarded; but 'a trie,' because fairer in form Hem Me- r-.i:>,2. children of men. The branches of this tree are the holy preachers. And let us see how wide they are stretch. d out. For what is said concerning them J Their sound is gone Ps.i9,4. forth into all the earth, and their words to the cud of the world. In these ' boughs the birds of the air rest,1 because my"i. ''"' '"'^ s,,,,'s which by a kind of wings of virtues lilt themselves up from earthly thinking, do in the word and consolations of these take breatfa from the wearying of this life. And bo in this place after it was said of ' Wisdom,1 // is hid from tin- eyes oj "II men; it is rightly added, // is kepi close also from the fowls of the air: because being settled in the corruptible flesh, these very persons do not in seeing penetrate the mightiness of His Nature, who by holy contemplation even now to fly with \\ ings. Where it is well added,

fame thereof with our cars.

save the evil spirits, who proved the inventors of ' destruction and of death,1 as of their leader himself under the appearance

,;. of his minister it is said by John, And his name was Death.

Unto whom all spirits of pride being subject, say concerning this ' Wisdom,1 Which is God, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears, in this way, that the vision thereof doubtleS8 they could not have with complete blessedness.

For perfectly to see the Wisdom coeti rnal with God, is the >ame thin- as to 'have.1 Hence it is said to John of the jl"- '-'• reward of one conquering, / will give him a white stone, and in the stone a m w mi me written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Forin this life we ar lable either to know or see sometimes a thing even which we have not received' but to have 'a new name written on a white stone' js in an

• tenia] recompense to have the knowledge of God strange to the faculties of men, which no man can know saving he that

Lveth it. Therefore as we have said, because to see God is the same thing that it is to have, therefore the evil spirits do not sei' this ' Wisdom,' because being cast off through pride they were never aide to have It. For they shut the eyes of the heart to the light of It, resisting the rays thereof Bhed abroad over them, as that may he also Job94, understood of the same evil spirits, which is written, They an of those ilia/ rebel against //<<■ light. And bo for evil »Pirita «" nave ' heard of the fame of Wisdom,' bin not to have seen that Wisdom, is at once to have ascertained the power thereof by its efficacy, and yet to have been unwilling

TJie Father the l Place' of the Son, Manhood His ' way.' 991 to stand humbly under it. Hence it is said by the voice of Book Truth of tiic actual head of evil spirits, He teas a murderer XIV from the beginning, and abode not in the truth. It follows; Vi."

Ver. •.?•'>. God understandeth the way thereof and He knoweth the place thereof

5. This Wisdom coeternal with God has ' a wav' in one iii. sense, and in another sense; ' a place;1 but only a ' place,' if a person understand it a place not local. For God is not capable of being held close alter the manner of a body. But as has been said, a place not local is meant. The 'place1 of ' Wisdom' is the Father, ' the place' of the Father is ' Wisdom,' as, Wisdom Herself bearing testimony, it is said, lam in the Fatherland the Father in Me. So then theJohnU, same identical Wisdom has ' a way' in one sense, and ' a10' place1 in another sense; ' a way1 by the passing of the manhood, ' a place1 by the settledness of the Godhead. For She passes not by in tin.1 respect that She is eternal, but She does pass by in the respect thai for our sakes She appeared subject to time. For it is thus written in the Gospel, And as.\iat.20, they deparledfrom Jericho, the Lord pawed by. And, behold, 20- 30- two blind men, sitting by the way side, cried out, saying, Hare mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of Da rid. At whose voice, as it is there written, Jesus stood still, send restored ver..32. light. Now what is it to hear passing by, but to restore sight standing still, but that by His manhood He compassionated us, Who by the power of His Godhead banished from us the darkness of our souls? For in that for our sakes He was born and suffered, that He rose again and ascended into heaven, it is as if Jesus passed by, because surely these arc doings in time. But lie touched and enlightened them standing still, because not as that temporal economy doth likewise; the Word's Eternity pass by, Which while remaining in Itself renews all things. For God's standing is His ordering all things mutable by immutable purposing, lie, then, Who heard tin; voices of those imploring Him while ' passing by,1 restored light standing still. For though for our sakes He underwent things temporal, yet lie bestowed light upon us by the same thing that He knows not to have the passing of mutability. Therefore because when He should through Hesh appear to men was an uncertain thing, il is rightly said dow, God understandeth the way then mill Hr ktimrit]t ih<- place thereof. Vs though it were expressed in plain words; k T<> the thought of man the two are hidden, whether the time when by flesh Wisdom mai come to men, or the mode how, even when He appears without. He continues invisible with the Father.

(i. Although this may aK< > be undersu od in another Bense. I ■ the way thereof is not inappropriately taken t<> be thai actual tliinLr thai comes into the mind, and infos* a itself into us in the interior. And ' the place thereof the heart becomes, eoraing unto which She abides. Thus of tin- Her *ray it is -,iid. The one crying in the wilderness, Prepart the way of the Lord; i. e. ' Open in your hearts an entrance i'-. '■-.!. to Wisdom;it Her coming;' as it i- elsewhere -aid; Make a way for him, that ascendeth above the setting. For to { ascend over the setting,1 was by rising again to hai the mastery over thai very death, He had undergone. And bo he says, For him} thai ascendeth over the setting, make yea way; i. e. ' To the Lord on His rising again makes way in your hearts by faith.1 Hence it is -aid to John by i.uk. ■ i. (]1(. spirit; '///"// shall go before the face of the Lord, /<> prepare III^ ways. For every one that l>y preaching cleanses the hearts of those thai hear him from the defilements ofbad habits, prepares a way for Wisdom on Her coming. Thus, this ' Wisdom' hath ' a way,' and hath ' u place;' ' a way1 whereby She comes, ' a place' wherein She abides; as She

JobnU, Herself saith; If any man love Me, he will keep M>i words* mi<l My Father will love htm, uml II r will conn unto him, and make Our abode with him. So then there is ' a way' by which She comes, ' a place1 wherein She abideth. Bui whereunto does She come, Who is every where? Is it for Wisdom to come, by the enlightening of our mind to make the presence of Her mightiness to appear! \nd because it is doubtful to men both into wbal person's heart She coin.-, or in irhal man. after She has come, She n -t- in abiding there, it irightly said now, God understandeth the way thereof, and I/< knoweth the plact thereof. Because it appertains t»» the Divine sight alone to see, whether by what methods the ]>« roeption oi Wisdom may come to the heart of man, or whose soid shall not lose by deadly imaginations the understanding

I'.ii, of God. Man but light tcithout a gift from Him.

of life, which it lias been vouchsafed. Lnd because this Book same ' Wisdom1 made manifest by the graciousness of the

Manhood was destined in all the regions of the world to lill to the lull the hearts of the Elect, it is rightly added; li. For he regardeth the ends of the earth, andseeth all things that aire wider the heaven.

7. For God's ' regarding1 is tin- renewing to I lis grace the jv. things that were lost and undone; whence it is written, A Pro*. King that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil ni/// His eyes. For by regarding He restrained the evils of out lightness, and bestowed great worth of matured- Whenee ii is further added: Who made the weight the the winds.

8. For in the Holy Scripture, by the rapidity and subtlety v. of the winds souls are used to he denoted, as it is spoken by the Psalmist of God; Who walketh above the wings of the?e.i04, winds; i. c. ' Who passes above the virtues of souls."5' " K' Accordingly' lie made the weight for the winds,' in that whilst Wisdom from above fills souls, it renders them weighty with imparted maturity, not with that weightiness, of which it i^ said. Ye children of men, how long with a heavy heart, Ps. t,2. For it is one thing to be weighty in respect of counsel, and another in respect of sin; it is one thing to be weighty, 1>\ constancy, another to be weighty by offence. For this latter W( ightiness has weight of burthen, the other weight of merit Thus, therefore, souls receive weight, that they should not henceforth with light motion glance oil' from their aim at God, but be made to settle into Him with immoveable weightiness of constancy. Still was that people lightly moved to and fro, of which it is said by the Prophet, And 1b. 57, he went on frowardly in the way of his men heart. I have 18, seen his ways: aiul I let him go. But weighty counsel in heart banishes all inconstancy of wandering. And because there are souls, that with light motion are now after one set of objects, now after another, Almighty God, because these very light waverings of men's minds He does not estimate lightly, by abandoning passes judgment on the wandering of the heart. But when through grace He regards the wandering mind, He fixes it into Btedfastness of counsel. And so it is rightly said now, And made weight for the winds;

, because the light motions of the mind, when He deigns to Mv", re&ard with mercifulness, He directly fasl:onn that mind I i maturedness of constancy. Or otherwi make weight for tli. winds,1 is i- qualify with interi.. <1 infirmity the glorj resulting from virtuous achievements, which is vouch- •1 t" tli' Elect here. Whence it is also subjoined; J id he weigheth t'n- waters by measure. xl 9. 'Waters1 in Holy Scripture are wont sometimes denote the Hoi) Spirit, sometimes sacred knowledge, sometimes wrong knowledge, Bometimes calamity, sometimes drifting peoples, sometimes the minds <>f those following the faith. Thus by water we have the [npouring of the Holj:. Spirit represented, as when it is said in the Gospel. //< that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Where the Evangelist following on added; But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. Again, l>\ water i sacred knowledge is denoted, as it is said; And give him the water of wisdom to drink. By water likewise bad knowledge is wont to be designated, as when the woman in Sol,. muli, who bears a type ol heresy, charms with crafty. », persuasion, Baying, Stolen waters are sweet. \'<\ the term of waters too tribulation are used to I)'' signified, as h us said b,i. by the Psalmist, Save me, <> Qod,for the waters are come in even unto my soul. By water peoples arc denoted, as it R*v.i7,i8 Baid by John, Now the waters are peoples. By water likewise not only the tide of peoples drifting away, but also the minds of good men that follow the preachings of faith, a, are denoted, as the Prophet saith, Blessed are ye that sow,','',,, upon all waters. And it is said bj the Psalmist; The voice •■«. of the Lord is upon the waters. In this place, then, what is denoted by the title of ' waters,1 saving the hearts of the Elect, which by the understanding of Wisdom, have now received the hearing of the heavenly voice? Touching whom it is rightlj said; And weigheth the waters by measure. Because the \en Saints, who bj the Holy Spirit bearing them up are transport* '1 on high, so long as they are in this life, that they may not swell high with any self-elation, are Kept down by certain temptations, that they maj never have the power to be ulted by pride, there takes plaice in them a kind of Boo* measure of their vgry virtue—. - — _l

10. It is L ' iat Elijah, after that by Bd many achieve* Hunts he had;u. iced on high, was suspended aloft by a kind of measure, when he afterwards fled from Jezebel, though a queen, yet only a weak woman. For I consider with myself that this man of marvellous power drew down fire from heaven, and once and again by momentary beseeching consumed the captains of fifty with all their men, by a word shut up the heavens from rain, by a word opened the heavens to rain, raising the dead, foreseeing the several things to come, and, lo, again it occurs to mind, with what dismay he fled before a single weak woman. I see the man, as being stricken with fear, from the hand of God seeking d< ath, yet not obtaining it, from the hand of a woman shunning death by taking to flight. For he sought death, whilst he fled, saying, Ji is enough; now, <> Lord, take away ///>/ life; fori Kings / dm not better than my fathers. Whence then was he ' so powerful as to perform those so numerous miracles? whence so weak as to be dismayed at a woman, except that " tlie waters are weighed with measure;' that the very Saints of God should at once prevail greatly through the power of God, and again be limited by a kind of measure through their own infirmity. In those powers Elijah learnt what he had received from God, in these weaknesses what he had power to be by himself. That mightiness was power, this weakness the keeper of power. In these powers he shewed what Inhad received, in these weaknesses that which he had received he kept safe. In the miracles Elijah was to be brought out to view, in the weaknesses he was to be preserved secure.

11. In the same way I see that Paul, encountering 2 Cor. the perils of rivers and robbers, of the city and tin- wil- ' derness, of sea and land, bridling tin; body by fasts and watchings, undergoing the ills of cold and nakedness, exercising himself watchfully and with pastoral rait- to the safe-keeping of the Churches, being caught up into tinthird heaven, and again caught up into Paradise, at once heard secret words which it i^ not permitted to man to Utter, and yet is given over to an angel of Satan to be tempted; he prays that he might be released, and is not

Job 98, heard. Ami when 1 look to the mere beginnings of his

Mv ( conversion, I consider with myself thai heavenly pity opens the heavens to him, and Jesus shews Himself to him from on high. He thai lost the light of the body for;i time, eived tin light of the heart for evermore. He is smi

: i Ananias, he is called./ chosen vessel, and yel from thai city, which he had entered after the vision of Jesus,

In departs in flight, as la- himself bears witness, saying, 2 Cor. /// Damascus the governor under Ax ins the huuf kepi

33! ' guard over the city of the Damascenes, destroys /" apprehend on'; inni through a window, in ". basket, was 1 let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. Unto whom I will take leave t<> say,' () Paul, alread) seesl thou Jesus in heaven, and still dost thou fly man on earth: Art thou carried into Paradise, art thou made acquainted with Becrel words of God, and still art thou tempted by a messenger of Satan r Whence so strong, that thou art caught up to heavenly places, whence so weak that thou fliest from man mi the earth, and still suffereBt hard handling from a messenger of Satan, saving that the Same, Who lilts thee on high, again limits thee with the minutest measuring, that ltoth in thy miracles thou shouldesl preach to us the power of God, and again in thy (ear cause us to remember our own infirmity?1 Which same infirmity, however, thai it may not draw us on into despair when it buffets as, whilst thou wert beseeching God touching thine infirmity, because thou werl not heard, to us also thou hast told what thou didst hear;

-. My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made ' ' ' perfect in weakness.

12. Thus by the plain voice of God it is Bhewn thai the guardian of power is frailty. For we are then kept to good effect within, when by God's appointment we are tempted to a bearable degree without, sometimes by had propensities, sometimes Py pressing misfortunes. For t<> these likewise, whom we know to have been men of mighty virtues, there were not wanting temptations and conflicts from the vices. Hence it is that for our encouragement the same great Preacher condescends to bring to view things of that hind Rom. 7, concerning his own case, saying, / see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing

////' into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. I oos

For the flesh forces down below, that the Spirit may not J —!_'_ Uplift, and the Spirit draws up on high, that the flesh may not bring to the ground. The Spirit lifts up, that we may not He grovelling in the lower world, the flesh weighs down, that we should not be lifted up on account of the things on high. If the flesh tempted us, while the Spirit did not uplift us, too surely by the absoluteness of its tempting it would cast us down below. But again, if the Spirit lifted us above, while the flesh did not tempt, It would by that very uplifting prostrate us the worse in the fall of pride. But by a certain regulating method it takes place, that whilst each one of the Saints is already indeed transported on high inwardly, but is still tempted outwardly, he neither incurs the downfall of desperation, nor of selfexaltation; seeing that neither does outward temptation bring transgression to its accomplishment, because the interior bent draws upwards; nor again does this interior bent lift up into pride, because the exterior temptation abases whilst it weighs down. Thus by a high appointment we see in the interior advancement what we receive, in the exterior shortcoming what we are, and by a strange method it is brought to pass that a man should neither be lifted up on the ground of virtue, nor despair on the ground of temptation, because while the Spirit draws, and the flesh draws back, by the exactest regulating of the Interior Judgment, the soul is balanced in a kind of mean above the things below, and below the things above. Therefore it is well said, Ver. 26, 27. When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the sounding tempests, then did He see it and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

13. By ' rain' the sayings of those that preach are used to vii. be denoted. Whence it is said by Moses; Let my doctrine beDeat. nailed for as the rain; whose words, that is to say, when they32' 2* gently persuade are ' rain,' but when they thunder out terrible things touching the Judgment to come, they are 'soundingtempests.' And it deserves to be noted, that ' a decree is made for the rain,' in order that ' a way may be opened for the sounding tempests.1 For a decree has been set to the preachers themselves, that by living they fulfil what by in i lit iis mi for the preaching that tnacU way for* Wisdom Job 98, uttering tin \ axe forward to recommend. For the antho- — ritativenesfl "i Bpeaking is Lost, when the voice is not miii- ported l'\ the practice. For here it iv said by the Psalmist, /,'/// unto th< wicked <•'"</ saith; What hast thou to do " declare \hj ttatutesfor thai thou tJtouldesi take My covenant iii thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction, and easiest My word* l>< In nil I In i. For the words of God the preacher does cast behind himself, when the same that be aaya he thinks Bcorn to do. Bui when may another obey his sayings, whilst he himself rejects In practice what he preaches with the voice, and Bhews not t<> hear thai he tells! Of this law of

M ■■.:>, preaching it is written; Whosoever therefore xlmll break one oj these least commandments, mul shall teach men, he shall be coiled the least in the kingdom oj heaven; but whoso shall da and leach them, the same sliall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ' The kingdom of heaven,1 we >'•■ • He calls the present Church; concerning which it is written,,13, And they shall gather out of His kingdom all things thai offend. For in the Kingdom Above ' offences1 that Bhould have t" In gathered out thereof do not take place. He tin d thai breaks in practice, and teaches the like in words, in this kingdom <>t' h< avi a -hall bi tin least, in the other not i ven the least N«'\v * He set a way to the sounding tempests,1 when for 1 1 is preachers lie made acc< >s to the hearts of men stricken with dread of the Judgment in come. So first ' b law is Bet,1 that afterwards ka way may be opened,3 because that voice piercetb the bean of him thai heareth, which maintains by practice the thing thai it has sounded with the lips. NOw it was then when * \lr Bel a law to the showi rs, and a way to th ■ Bounding tempests,1 that God c saw, declared, prepared, and searched' this ' Wisdom.1 Bj a mode of spe< ch customary to 1 [oly Writ, for ( rod to s< b is a phrasi for causing,22, us to s, -r, as the Lord saith t<> the righteous man. Now I know

'"'• ilmi thou fear est God. And the Israelites are forewarned; l'1/r Lord your God provi th you, to know whether ye love the the precepl ol watching to the preachers, tins ' Wisdom' made Incarnate He caused to be ' seen and declared' by the preachers, to be ' prepared and searched' by the hearers.

Since bi 'prepares1 Her for himself, whosoever by living Boot aright is procuring Her favourable against the Day of- — — Judgment \n<l observe that there are lour particulars spoken respecting her. For he Bays, He did see it and (I, chirc it, He prepared if. yea, He searched if. Thus He 'saw/ in that She is 'a Likeness;' He ' declared it; in that She is 'the Word;' 'prepared it,' in that She is a remedy; and 'searched it,' in that She is a thing hidden from sight. But this, viz. that the Eternal Wisdom of Cod is ' the Likeness' and ' the Word' of the Father, when is it penetrated by the mind of man? For who might understand either a Word apart from time, or a Likeness apart from limiting. Therefore there was need for something to be said, which man might recognise concerning Her by himself; whence it is fitly subjoined;

Ver. 28. And unto man He said, 'Behold, the fear of tin- Lord, that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

14. As though it were spoken in plain speech; 'Man, viii. turn back to thine own self; sift thoroughly the secrets of thine own heart. If thou findest out that thou dost fear God, surely it is plain that of this Wisdom thou art full. Which same if thou art not able to learn what in herself She is, meanwhile thou henceforth findest what She is in thyself. For She that is feared in herself by the Angels, in thee is called ' the fear of the Lord.' Because it is certain that thou possessest Her, it it is not uncertain that thou dosl fear God.' Hence also it is said by the Psalmist; The beginning of Pa. ill, Wisdom is the fear of the Lord, because She then begins to10- penetrate the heart, when She disturbs it by the dread of the final Judgment. Therefore the Word of God draws Itself in to our littleness; just as a father, when he speaks to his little child, in order that he may be able to be understood by him, talks stammeringly of his own accord. For because we are unable to penetrate the nature of Wisdom, what She is in herself, by the condescension of God we have heard what She is in us, when it is said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom. But because he really understands the force of Divine fear, who keeps himself from all bad practices, it is rightly subjoined; And to depart from ecil is understanding

KKi JoVs his/ words represent the Church in last days.

Job 99, So then" the things that come after, that they arc full of the

—! — spirit of prophecy, the words of the sacred hietory themselves 1" tar testimony, whereas it is said,

C. xxix. 1. Moreover Job continued his parable, and said.

ix. 15. For because a parable is a name for a likeness, it plainly appears that through a form of exterior words he speaks mysteries, who with reference to speaking is recorded alleo. to have ' taken u]) a parable.1 For when he relates bis own circumstances, he is telling all the things that are to come to Holy Church, and through the thing that he himself undergoes he points out what she should undergo. But sometimes he so mixes the words of his own history, that he sounds not of any thing allegorical, while sometimes he so utters his own sorrows as though he were giving utterance in the voice of the sorrowing Church. But in the last part of his discourse, he designates the last time of the Church, when her adversaries, i. e, carnal persons, or heretics and pagans, whom she now busies herself to repress by the authority of wisdom, being set up with unbridled boastfulness, she is obliged to put up with, while derided. Whence in this discourse Job 30, likewise it is said; liul note they Unit ore younger than I //ore me in derision, whose fathers I Would //arc disdained to put with the dogs ofmyfiock. And the very principle of the arrangement requires thai by the last words of blessed

Job, the last days of Holy Church should be denoted, when, persecution increasing, she is forced to bear the undisguised voices of heretics, when those motions of their hearts, which they now cover up within the depths of their thoughts, they then disclose in the utterance of error made manifest. For now, as it is said by John, the dragon is imprisoned and held Rev.90,fast in the bottomless pit, because the wickedness of the devil s.

is hidden from sight in their crafty hearts. But, as is there said, the dragon shall be brought forth out of the bottomless pit, because what80e\ 6T is now covered over from fear, then against the Church openly out of the hearts of the wicked is all that serpent's venom brought to light. For now the envenomed feeling hides itself from sight under a flattering tongue, and

( 'liitrcfi harder pressed at last by force and by arguments. 107 malevolence of craft as it were covers itself with a kind of Book bottomless pit of dissembling. Now the Lord, as it is expressed by the voice of the Psalmist, gathereth the waters of Ps.33,7. the sea as in a skin. For the ' skin' is carnal thinking. So ' the waters of the Bea are gathered in a skin,' when the bitterness of a froward mind does not burst forth outwardly into the voice of unhallowed liberty. Surely the time shall come, when the froward and the carnal speak forth against her with unreserved voice that which they now go about ■with secret thought. The time shall come when they shall oppress the Catholic Church not only with unjust words, but with cruel wounds.

16*. For from her adversaries the Church suffers persecution in two ways, viz. cither by words or by swords. Now when she bears persecution by words, her wisdom is put in exercise, when by swords, her patience. Now persecutions of words we do now too as well daily undergo at the hands of heretics, when heretics themselves flatter us with crafty tongues and with feigned humility, but the persecutions of swords are destined to follow towards the end of the world, that the grains to be stored up in the heavenly granaries may be the more genuinely cleared of the chaff of sins, the more straitly they are bruised with affliction. Then all the Elect, that may be caught in that tribulation, call to mind these times when now the Church secures the peace of the faith, when she holds under the proud necks of heretics, not by the potency of her highness, but by the yoke of reason. They call to mind ourselves, who are passing quiet times of faith, who, though we be straitened in the warsb of the nations, yet are not driven to extremity in the sayings of Fathers. Thus blessed Job bearing a type of Holy Church, which is then found in these straits, and yet remembers herself of our tranquillity, as I said, describes the particulars of himself past, and tells the particulars destined to come to others, saying;

Ver. 2. Who would (jive me that I might he as in the months past?

17. For Holy Church being borne down with sorrows is to x. say many like things. For it shall be for her to be besieged b Alluding to the hostilities of the Lombards especially.

my /'/if Church, st ring many fall) shall long for past times.

Job 89, with Mich great tribulations, as with meat sighing to long lor

: — these times, which we undergo with great Borrow. So then

'let her Bay, let her say in the roice of blessed Job, Who would give me thai I might be as in the months past f For because an appointed number of days has the name of • mouths," what else does he signify by the tith: of months, but the gatherings of souls? For days, while they arc gathered in months, arc removed away, because in this time as well Holy ('lunch, while she gathers in souls shining brighl with the light of truth, hides them in the interior depths. Sometimes also a month is put for perfection, as is. 6t>, when the Prophet savs, // shall be a month hum a month;

i. e. perfection in rest to those, to whom there may now be perfi ction in practice. So let her remember her perfection of old, let her bring hack to mind with what preaching of hers, by souls gathered in, she carried off her gains, and being straitened by tribulations, let her say. Who ninth! give me thai I might be as in the months of old? In which same months, who and what he was, lie subjoins in telling over, Baying;

Ver. o. As inthedays when God preserved me; when /lis lump shined upon my head, and when by /lis light I walked

\i. 1^. For then, persecution forcing thereto, she sees multitudes of the frail fall from her, whom now as a mother she cherishes as her little ones within the hosoni of peace, and keeps close within the quiet cradles of faith, Seeing that being mixed with the strong they are nurtured by the very tranquillity of the faith. Hut then many such are destined to fall, and through the bowels of charity, whatever it sustains in the damage of the little ones, the mind of the perfect laments that itself undergoes. for every damage of the weak is by compassion made to pass to the hearts of the strong. Whence it is said by Paul, Who is weak, and I am ' nut weak? who is offended, and I burn nut f For a man is perfect in such proportion as he perfectly dels the sorrows of others. Whence Holy Church, being brought to a pass h\ the weak ones (ailing at that time, shall say with right. As ni i/n days it In n God preserved me} because herself she then accounts to fall in those, who now sees herself in these to be kept safe. And it is well said, When His lamp Book,s// j ned 1/ /><>// my head, and when by His light 1 walked XIXthrough darkness. For by the term of a ' lamp' the light of Holy Scripture is represented, whereof the Shepherd of the Church himself saith, We have also the word of prophecy 2Pet.i, more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your //carts. And the Psalmist saith, '/'//// word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Pa. H9, Now because our topmost part is the mind, the mind is " rightly styled by the designation of ' head.' Whence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou hast anointed my head with oil. Ps.23,5. As if he said in plain terms, ' Thou hast filled my soul with the fatness of charity.' And so now ' the lamp shines upon the head' of the Church, because the sacred Oracles enlighten the darkness of our minds, that in this darksome place of the present life, whilst we receive the light of the word of God, we should see what things are to be done. Now she ' walks by His light in darkness,' because the Holy Church Universal, though it penetrate not the secrets of another's thought, because as it were it does not know the face in the night, yet it sets the steps of good practice, being governed by the light of Heavenly Revelation. It goes on;

Ver. 4. As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle.

19. As of each individual man, so is the age of Holy xii. Church described. For she was a little one, when fresh from the birth she was unable to preach the Word of Life. Hence it is said of her, My sister is a tittle one, and she hath Cant. 8, no breasts; in this way, that Holy Church, before she made progress by accessions of virtue, was not able to yield the teats of preaching to the weak ones her hearers. But the Church is called ' adult' when being wedded to the Word of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, by the office of preaching she is with young in the conception of children, with whom by exhorting she travails, whom by converting she brings forth. Of this age of hers it is said to the Lord; The young maidens have loved Thee. For all the Churches, Cant. 1, which constitute one Catholic Church, are called young'"' maidens, not now aged by sin, but young ones by grace, not lln Tin Jew$ to be converted. God present within man, job 99, barren 1>\ old age, but bj thi i the soul fitted for

~l_ spiritual rruitrulness. According!] then, when in those dayi

" being as it w. if enfeebled by a kind of old age she hath not strength t<> bring forth children bj preaching, she calls to mind the bygone fruitfuln ss, saying, it I was in the days i>i Hit/ youth. Though after those days wherein sin- is borne down, yet, this notwithstanding, now at length towards the actual end of times, she is empowered with ■ mighty efficacy of preaching. For the Gentiles being taken in to the full, all the Isiaelilish people that shall then hi' found she draws Rom. into the bosom of the faith. Since it is written; Until the.J(;' * ' fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall Insaved, lint before those times there shall be days, in the which she shall appear for a little while borne down by her adversaries, when too she remembers these davs. saving,

20. What in this place do we take the ' tabernacle1 for but the dwelling-place of the mind? Because by all that we do with taking thought, we dwell in the counsel of OUT heart. Hut whoever in silence thinks <>i the precepts of God, to him

' God is secretly in his tabernacle.1 For he had seen the dwelling-place of his heart to he before the eyes of God, i'-. 19, who said. Ami the meditation of my heart always in Tliy sight. For outward deeds are open to the eyes of men. but widely and incomparably more our interior and minutest thoughts are open to the eyes of God. For, as it is written, all things are naked and opened unto the eyes oj Him. And oftentimes in the outward i\w^ we are afraid to appear disordered before the eyes of men, and in the interior thought not afraid of the regard of I lim, Whom, whilst I le B& I things, we see not. For we are much more discernible by

God within than we are by men without. And hence all the Saints scan themselves both within and without on every side, and are in fear of either shewing themselves blameworthy outwardly, or wicked inwardly to the invisible seeing. It is hence that the living creatures, which arc seen by the is. Prophet, are recorded to he' lull of eyes round about and Rev.' 4 "within.1 For In- that orders his outward circumstances reft, ft B. ipectablj, hut disregards the inward, has eyes ' round about1 but not ' within.' But all the Saints, because thev at once Book scan their exterior ways round and round that they may furnish good examples in themselves to their brethren, and watchfully mark their interior ways, because they are providing themselves irreproachable for the regarding eye of the [nterior Judge, arc described as having eyes both 'round about and within;' and that they may please God, even more do they make themselves complete within their interior self, as it is said by the Psalmist as well of Holy Church, All the glory ''y 4», of her, the king's daughter, is from within. But because she keeps her outward things also irreproachable, he added with justice concerning her; Clothed about in clothing qflorought </old with embroidery. That she should be at once beautiful to herself ' within,1 and to others ' without,' both advancing herself by interior glory, and instructing others by the outward examples of deeds. Thus then let blessed Job say in himself, yea, let him say in the person of the Church Universal, When God was secretly in my tabernacle. For that he may make it evident how much he had advanced within, he tells, that ' God was secretly in his tabernacle.' That he may also shew the deeds of righteousness to what extent he outwardly kept them, he adds;

Ver. 5. When the Almighty teas yet with me; and when my servants were about me.

2\. Now all that stand in awe of the divine precepts xiii. become God's ' tabernacle.1 Hence as we have already said above, ' Truth' saith by Himself of the man that keeps His commandments, I and Mil Father will come and make Our John abode with him. Contrariwise the wicked severally, whereas ' thev do not aim at the things within, pour themselves forth without in the thoughts of their hearts. Whence it is said to them by the Prophet, Turn back to the heart within, Oyels.46,8. transgressors. And again, JI oe to you that devise a rain thing. Mio. 2, Since in their actions they are afraid of men, whom they see with bodily sight, and God, Whom they do not see, they do not account to be present to them. Contrary whereunto it is said in commendation of a righteous person, seeing that he disregarded the king of Egypt, and obeyed the commandments of God, For he endured, as seeina Him Who tsHeb.ll, invisible. For the wicked ruler of the earth he as it were

JoB29,saw not, in thai he banished him from ihe eyes of the heart Hut tli«' King Invisible 'as seeing,' * he endured,1 because from tlic regarding of His fear he turned not aside the eye of tlif soul. So I Inly Church being taken then in great tribulations, when Bhe Bees many by evil imagining depart from God, surely sin- sees the tabernacle of theif mind <»n God's departing to remain empty, and justly lamenting, Bhe says, When Sod was secretly in my tabernacle. By which words, and not inappropriately, the feigning of religion is likewise bewailed, because there are those even now thai aim not to be, luit to seem Christians. These without question ha\c God in public, not ' in secret.' But IIol\ Church desires to have God' in secret,' because He regards those really faithful ones, whom lie knows to he holding on to the life of faith with complete affection. Which same, as well also with reference to the external uprightness of her activity, saith, When tin- Almighty was yet with me: when my servants were about me. ' Servants' surely those are called, who do the bidding of the heavenly precepts. Whence the i- -.1*. Lord saith by the Prophet, Behold T,and my servants which John 2 1, Mf Lord hath given me. And again in the Gospel, 8ervantsmt have ye any meatf And so now ' the servants are round about her,' because in all nations almost there are found th086 that keep the commandments of heaven, and obey the rules of spiritual discipline. Which servants, too truly, shall then be lacking to do her service, when the wicked doers, that shall be found, despise her spiritual precepts. It goes on; Ver. 6. When I washed my feet with butter.

*iv. 22. Whereas we have already frequently said that Christ and the Church are one person, lie, that is to say. the Head of that Body, and She the Body of that 1 lead; these words are to hi1 understood after the voice of the 1 lead in oneway, after the voice of the Body in another way. Whom then do we take for ' the feet' of the Lord, but the holy Preachers. Of 6, whom lie saith. And I will walk in them. Thus ' the feet are washed with butter,' because the he.lv Preachers are filled to the full with the fatness of good works. For, as we have already said above, scarcely is the mere preaching itself (anied on without something being done wrong. For any man preaching is either drawn on into some slight u. ok indignation, if he is despised, or into some little glorying, if he is reverenced by those that hear him. Whence the Apostles too had their feet washed, that from any slight defilement contracted in the act of preaching itself they might be cleansed as from a sort of dust collected by a journey. And blessed James saith, My brethren, be not many masters. J*3*-** And a little after. For in many Ihings we offend all. Thus ' the feel are washed with butter,1 because the dust gathered by glory in preaching is steeped and cleansed by the fatness of good works. Or otherwise ' the feet arc washed with butter,1 when the wages owing are paid to the holy Preachers by those that hear, and those whom the imposed labour of preaching exhausts, the richness of good practice exhibited by the disciples cheers; not that they preach for this that they may be i'vd, but that they are therefore fed, that the) may preach; i. e. that they may hold up to preach; not so that the action of the preacher should pass into the aim of getting support, but that the ministering of support should be made subservient to the usefulness of preaching. Whence by good preachers it is not for the sake of the means of living that preaching is rendered, but for the sake of preaching that the means of living are accepted. And as often as what is wanted is bestowed on those that preach by those that hear them, they are not used to take delight in the benefit of the good things, but in the reward of those bestowing them. Whence it is said by Paul, Not because I desire a gift, bat I dt sire fruit. For Phil. 4, the ' gift1 is the actual thing that is bestowed; but the fruit thereof is if with a kindly disposition a thing be bestowed in the pursuit of the future recompense. So we receive the gift in the thing, the fruit thereof in the heart. And because the Apostle was fed rather by the recompense of his disciples than by the benefaction, he avouches that he ' seeks not a gift,1 but ' fruit.1 Hence he straightway added, saying, But I hare all and abound. Therefore ' the feet are washed with butter,1 when the holy preachers, as we said, worn out by the actual preaching itself, are regaled with the good deeds of their hearers. For the weary ' feet1 he had ' anointed with butter,' who heard, Because the bowels of the Saints are Philem.

by the brother. With this ' butter the foot ni

— — anointed,1 which was held fast in fetters, Baying, The Lord mercy unto the linns,- of Onesiphorus:,/'•'/ he oft refreshed roice of the Head we form our estimate of the words, we <1"

rightly an has Itch said in taking ' ihe feet' for preach

23. I'>ut if we are to interpret these words in the voice of the Body alone, then the feet of the ( Ihurch are the ministers of inferior winks, which whilst they enforce the things thai are \\ ithoul for necessary purposes, by the low est ministration stick to the ground like feet lint they that arc at the head, who arc intent on the pursuit of instruction, ought with heedful care to question the hearts <>f the busied, and by the voice of frequent admonition to administer to them that pouring in of richness which thej themselves as disenf receive. For because in one body the members are interested for one another reciprocally, just as our outermost parts are slaved up by their ministrations, SO it is necessary that their interior parts should be filled by our pursuits. When then to persons devoted to the extremest offices the holy doctors preach the anointing oil of our Lord's Incarnation, they 'wash the feet with the butter1 of utterance. Moreover the ar accustomed to be lacerated by the mere ruggi dn< ^s of the way; whence it is altogether difficult at once to go a journey in the earthly actions of this life, and not sustain any wounds at all from the exertion of the journey. And so when the rulers keeping watch call hack to their heart within their hearers engrossed with exterior concerns, that they may ascertain what evil things they have committed amidst the very deeds allowed to he done, and that what they find out they may bewail, ' they wash the feet with butter;' because to the wounds of these persons they administer the ointments of penitence. Therefore lei I [oly Church being unspeakably afflicted remember how in the time of her peace she purified by the word of exhortation even the furthest members in herself, and let her say, // hen I washed my feet with butler. Hist. Which it is wonderful!) interesting to view in the c.i^c of blessed Job, who amidst so many cares of property, so many interests for children, so many engagements of sacrifices, preached to his dependents, howsoever the very farthest.

Oil from the Rock, grace and knowledge from Christ. LIS the good things of the life ensuing, that those he might Boo* inocnlate touching heavenly things, who were working for him at earthlj services. What do we Bishops say to all this, wh.. to those committed to us care not to render the word of life, when a wedded husband, neither the secular garb, nor the management of large means were able t<> debar the office of preaching. But saving the historical verity, let us now alt.eo. return to the words of Holy Church, who tells by blessed Job, i. e. by the mouth of a Member of her own, how great are the things that she shall suffer in the last time, when she remembers her past fortunes, when by that same richness of the word the life of those in action was cleansed. Who in more fully following out that same watchfulness of her preachers adds;

And Hie rock pou red me out rivers of oil.

•1 1. That by the title of a rock Christ is denoted, the great xv. Preacher avouches, saying, And that rock teas Christ. 1 Cor. Which very k rock' doth now ' pour out rivers of oil' for the use of Holy Church, because the Lord by speaking therein gives out the preachings of the interior anointing. ' From this Rock that river of oil issued forth,' the book of Matthew, the book of Mark, the book of Luke, and the book of John. In the several regions of this world for all the preachings she put forth, this ' Rock poured out' as many ' rivers of oil' by the mouths of the Apostles. As many times still ' a river of oil is poured out from this Rock,' as often as to the minds of the hearers, to be anointed by the Holy Spirit, those things are explained which arc spoken concerning Christ in the old Books. And they are called 'rivers of oil,' because they run out and anoint; in which same he that is dipped is anointed, and he that is anointed is fattened within. Of which fatness doubtless it is that the Psalmist saith, Let my soul be filled as Ps.63,5. with marrow andfatness. It may be that by the designation of oil the actual anointing of the Holy Spirit is denoted, whereof it is said by the Prophet; And the yoke shall rot at the Is. 10, presence of the oil. For ' the yoke doth rot at the presence of the oil,' because whilst we are anointed with the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are set free from the bondage of our captivity; and whereas the proud dominion of the evil spirit is thrown off, the yoke is broken in pieces, wherewith the

110 The Church m good works as rulers at the gale.

Job n, aecka of our libertj were borne doim. < M this oil again it is writti n. J vineyard was made to my beloved ><n the hom% a i-.;.. {.child of oil. For 'a child of oil,' the faithful people is called, which is engendered t" the faith of Cod by the interior anointing of the Holy Spirit. And so al thai time lei Holy Church, I" in.ur borne down bj countless sorrows, recal t«> remembrance the gifts of the spirit and the marvellous preachings which are bar's now, and let her bewail her own silence, Baying, The rock poured me out rivers of oil. To which words he filly subjoins;

\ er. 7 — 10. When I went out to the 'j"i<- of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair? The young men taw me and hi<i themselves, and the old men rose up and stood. The princes ceased to speak) and laid!/><• fingi the mouth. The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their montli. wi. "J"). It was the custom of the ancients, thai the elders should sit together in the gates, and judge the cases of those entering in, that so the people of the city mighl be the more peaceful, in proportion as ii was nol allowed to those at variance to i oti r in. Now we in revering the Bacred history hold it certain that all this blessed Job did for the sake of the observance of jusl dealing, and we are led to the investigating the mysteries of the allegory. What then is denoted 1>\ ' the of the city1 Baving every good action, by which the soul inters in to the company of the heavenly Kingdom? Hence

P§.9, the Prophet saitb; Thou, that l\ftesi m< up from the gates of death, thai 1 may declare all Thy praises in the gates <>/' the </(iinj/ifi-r of Sim/. For 'the gates of death1 arc had actions, which drag to destruction; hut because 'Sion1 is the word tor -a viewing,1 'the gates of Sion1 we interpret good actions, by which we inter into tip- Country Above, that we maj vie* the glory of our Bang. Butwhat is denoted by the Beat hut the authority of mastership. Now 'a Btreet1 in the Greek tongue is equivalent to ' breadth.1 Vnd so now

Holy Church goes forth to the gate of the city, because that she may obtain access t<> the heavenly country, sin- puts herself out in holy actions. For whom there is '• seal pr< pared in the street,1 because in the breadth «.i high authority she displays the freedom of her mastership. For