Morals on the Book of Job (Moralia)

52. Holy men so guard themselves in their good works, xxxix. with God for their aid, that there can be no where found, without, grounds, whereon to accuse them; but within, in the secret thoughts of their own hearts, they watch over themselves with such good heed, that, if it might be, they may at all times stand blameless before the eyes of the interior Judge. But what they are able to effect, that they never should slip outwardly in act, they are unable to effect inwardly, that they never should make a false step in thought. For man's conscienci', from the very fact that it withdraws ^ from the things deepest within, is always on slippery ground. Whence it comes to pass, that even holy men often slip in them. So let holy Job, speaking as well in his own voice as in the voice of the Elect, say. Who is he that will plead with me? Let him come. For, seeing that in external actions there is no occasion for which to fasten a blame upon him, he freely looks about for an accuser. But because the consciences even of the righteous sometimes have to charge themselves with foolishness of thought, it is on this account perhaps that it is added;

Job 13, Why am I consumed in silence?

xi ' himself for foolishness of thought, is gnawed in his own heart by the tooth of conscience. As if he said in plain words, ' As I have so lived that I should never fear any accuser without, would that 1 had so lived that I should never have my conscience for mine accuser within me.' For he is ' consumed in silence,' who discovers in himself within

> unde cause whereby the fire should gnaw him^ It goes on; uratur ^ex. 20. Only do not two tilings unto me: then will I not hide myself from Thy face.

54. What are we to understand here by the ' face of God,' saving His visitation? In which, whilst He beholds, He also punishes our sins, from which no just man even is hidden, if the two things, which he entreats, be not removed; concerning which he adds;

Thy dread make me afraid.

xli. 55. By which same two what else does he ask in a voice

Proph.q^ prophecy, but the season of grace and redemption? For the Law held the people obnoxious to the stroke of vengeance, that whoso committed sin under its yoke, should be forthwith punished with death. Nor did the Israelitish people serve

God from a principle of love, but of fear. But righteousness simplerican never be perfected'^ by fear, seeing that according to the

1 John voice of John, perfect love casleth out fear. And Paul

Rom. 8 comforts the children of adoption, by saying, For ye have i^' not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, hut ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,

Father. Therefore in the voice of mankind, longing for the hardness of the stroke of the Law to pass away, and eagerly desiring to advance from fear to love, he names in prayer what

' two things God should put far from him,' saying, Withdraiu

Thine hand far from me, and let not Thy dread make me afraid; i. e. remove from me the hardness of the stroke, take away the weight of dread, and while the grace of love illumines me, pour upon me the spirit of assurance, in that if I be not removed far from tlic rod and from dread, I know that I shall not be withdrawn from the strictness of Thy searching. Since he cannot be justified before Thee, who serves Thee not on a principle of love, but of fear.' Hence Book he seeks the very presence of his Creator itself, as it were '— familiarly, and in a bodily sort, that he may thereby both hear what he is ignorant of, an5 be heard in the things that he knows. For he adds directly;

Ver. 22. Then call Thou^ and I will answer; or let ine speak, and answer Thou me,

56. Who at the time, when He did appear by the assumption of the flesh to the eyes of mankind, disclosed to men their sins, which they were doing and knew not. Whence it is added;

Ver. 23. How many are mine iniquities and my sins? make me to know my crimes and my offences,

57. Though the ' calling' and ' answering"' may likewise xlii. be understood in another way. For God's ' calling' us is

His having respect to us in loving and choosing us, and our ' answering' is the yielding obedience to His love by good works. Where it is fitly added, Or let me speak, and answer Thou me. For we ' speak,' when we beg for God's face in desire, and God answers our speaking, when He appears to us that love Him. But because whoever pants with longing for the eternal world, examines his doings, taking himself to task with great exactness, and searches lest there be aught in him, whereby he might offend the face of his Creator, he rightly adds, How many are mine iniquities and my sins? Make me to know my crimes and offences. This is the task of the righteous in this life, to find out themselves, and on finding out to bring themselves to a better state by weeping and self-chastening. And though John the Apostle tells us that there is no odds between iniquity and sin, when he says, l John iniquity is sin; yet in the simple usage of speech, ' iniquity' ' sounds something more than ' sin,' and every one confesses himself a ' sinner,' but he is sometimes ashamed to call himself an iniquitous person. Now between ' crimes' and ' offences' there is this difference, that ' crime' over and above exceeds the weight and measure of sin, but an ' offence' does not exceed the weight of sin; for thus, when a sacrifice is commanded to be offered under the Law, it is doubtless enjoined, as for a ' sin,' the same for an ' offence' too. And crime is never done but in deed, whereas offence is most

Job 13, commonly committed in thought alone. Hence it is said by the Psalmist, IVJio can understand his offences? seeing

Ps. 19, that sins of practice are Known the quicker, in proportion as ^^' they appear externally, but sins of thought are the more difficult to apprehend, that they are committed out of sight. Hence any one, who being made solicitous by the love of Eternity, has it at heart to appear clean before the Judge that shall come, examines himself so much the more exactly now, in proportion as he bethinks himself how he may then present himself free to His terribleness; and he beseeches to have it shewn him, wherein he offends, that he may punish that thing in himself by penance, and by judging himself here, riiay be rendered unobnoxious to judgment.

58. But herein it is needful to observe, how great is the punishment -of our pilgrimage which has fallen upon us, wdio have been brought to such a degree of blindness, that we do not know our own selves. We do evil, and yet do not quickly find it out, even when done. For the mind, being banished from the light of truth, finds in itself nothing else than darkness, and very often ])uts out the foot into the pit of sin, and knows it not. Which it is subject to from the blindness of the state of exile alone, seeing that, being driven away from the illumining of the Lord, it even lost the power to see itself, in that it loved not the face of its Maker. Hence it is added; Ver. 24. Wherefore hidcst Thou Thy/ace^ and holdest me for Thine enemy? xliii. 59. Man enjoyed the light of inward contemplation in Paradise, but by gratifying himself, as he departed from himself, he lost the light of the Creator, and fled from His face to the trees of Paradise, seeing that, after his sin, he dreaded to see Him, whom he had used to love. But mark, alter sin he is brought into ])unishment, but from punishment he returns to love, because he finds out what was the consequence of his transgression, and that face, which he feared in sin, being awakened to a right sense, he seeks afresh by punishment, that he may henceforth flee the darkness of his blind condition, and shrink with horror from this alone, that he does not behold his Creator. Pierced with which longing the holy man exclaims, Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and tahesi >ne for Thine evemy? ' since, if Thou didst regard me as a friend, Tliou wouldest not depinve me of the lieht of Book

Thy vision.' And going on, he adds the fickleness of the '—

Ver. 25. ]Vilt Thou shew Thi/ power against a lea/ driven to and fro? and ivilt Thou pursue the dry stubble?

60. For what is man but a leaf, who fell in Paradise from xliv. the tree } what but a leaf is he, who is caught by the wind of temptation, and lifted up by the gusts of his passions? For the mind of man is agitated as it were by as many gusts, as it undergoes temptations. Thus very often anger agitates it; when anger is gone, empty mirth succeeds. It is driven by the goadings of lust, by the fever of avarice it is made to stretch itself far and wide to compass the things which belong to the earth. Sometimes pride lifts it up, and sometimes excessive fear sinks it lower than the dust. Therefore seeing that he is lifted and carried by so many gusts of temptation, man is well likened to a ' leaf Hence it is well said too by Isaiah, And we all have fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities ls.64,6. like the wind hare taken ns away. For ' our iniquity like a wind has taken us away,' in that being steadied by no weight of virtue, it has lifted us into empty self-elation. And it is well that, after a leaf, man should be called ' stubble' likewise. For he that was a ' ti-ee' by his creating, was by himself made a ' leaf in his tempting, but afterwards he appeared ' stubble' in his fallen estate. For in that he fell from on high, he was a leaf, but, whereas by the flesli he was fellow to the earth, even when he seemed to stand, he is described as ' stubble.' But because he lost the greenness of interior love, he is henceforth ' dry stubble.' So let the holy man reflect both what meanness man is of, and what severity God is of, and let him say, Wilt Thou shew Thy power against a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt Thou pursue the dry stubble? As if he openly bewailed, saying, ' Why dost Thou run him down with so much force of riohteousness, whom Thou knowest to be so frail in temptation?' It goes on; Ver. 26. For Thou ivritest bitter things against me.

61. For seeing that every thing we speak passes away, ^^• but what we write remains, God is said not to ' speak,' but to

' write bitter things,' in that His scourges upon us last for long. For it was said once to man, when he sinned. Bust

Job vs,-thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return? And Angels many — — '— times appearing gave commandments to men. Moses, the lawgiver, restrained sins by severe means. The Only-Begotten Son of the Most High Father, Himself came to redeem us, He swallowed up death by dying. He announced that everlasting life to us, which He exhibited in Himself; yet that sentence which was given in Paradise concerning the death of our flesh remains unaltered from the very first beginning of the human race up to the end of the world. For Ps. 89, what man is he that liveth. and shall not see death? which

Ps* j-g the Psalmist considering well saith again, Thou, even Thou, 7- art to be feared: and who may stand in Thy sight when once

Thou art angry? Who being ' once angry,' when man sinned in Paradise, fixed the sentence of the mortality of our flesh, which now even to the very last may never be changed a whit. Therefore let him say, Thou -writest bitter things against me. Hence it is further added;

And u-ouldest waste me with the iniquities of my youth. xlvi. 62. Observe, that whereas the holy man finds not that he ijuven- has ever sinned in his manhood^, he dreads the sins of his 2adoles-youth^. Now it is ucccssary to know, that as in the body, so centiae ^^^ there advances of age in the mind also. Thus the first age of man is infancy, when, though he lives in innocence, he cannot speak'' the innocence which is in him; and then follows boyhood, in which he has henceforth the power of speaking what he wishes; to which youth succeeds, which we know is the first age in active life, which is followed by manhood, i. e- that which is suited to hardihood; and afterwards old age, which from mere time even is now fellow to maturity of mind. Therefore, as we have called the first age fit for good actions ' youth,' and as the righteous when they are far advanced in perfect maturity of mind, sometimes recall to recollection the beginning of their deeds, and blame themselves for their first commencement in an equal degree as they have advanced deei:)er in gravity of mind, because they find that they were once void of discretion, in proportion as they afterwards more thoroughly attain possession of the stronghold of discretion, it is rightly that now, in the words of the holy man, the sins of his youth are dreaded. But if this Book is to be held after the bare letter, we ought from this con — sideration to infer how grievous the sins of grown men and the aged are, if the just so greatly fear even that which they did wrong in the years of weakness. It goes on;

Ver. 27, Thou jjuttest my foot also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly into all my paths; Thou markest the prints of my feet.

63. God ' set man's foot in the stocks,' in that he bound xlvii. fast his wickedness with the strong sentence of His severity. And He ' looketh narrowly into all his paths,' in that He judges with minute exactness all the several particulars that belong to him. For a ' path' is usually narrower than a ' way;' but as by ' ways' we understand actions, so by ' paths' we not unjustly understand the mere thoughts of them. So God ' looketh narrowly into all our paths,' in that in all our several actions He takes account of the thoughts of the heart too; and He ' marketh the prints of our feet,' in that He examineth the intentions' of our works, how far they are placed aright, lest that which is done a good work, be not done with a right object. But it is possible that by the prints of the feet the several things done badly may be understood. For a foot in the body is a print in the way. And very commonly, when we do some things wrong, whereas our brethren see it, we are setting them a bad example, and our foot being as it were turned out of the way, we leave to those that follow our footsteps all awry, while by our own deeds we lead the way for other men's consciences to stumble. But it is very hard for man to keep on his guard, that he never presume to do evil, that in his good actions he be not unsteady in the intention, and amidst upiight deeds let no wrong purpose deceive him. Yet all these particulars Almighty God minutely examines, and weighs each one of them in judgment. But when can man, bound about as he is by the frailty of the flesh, have power to rise up against all of them with exact particularity, and to maintain the line of uprightness with the thought of the heart unmoved? Hence it is properly added;

A^er. 28. Who am as a rotten thing to be consumed, and as a garment that is moth eaten.

Job 13. 64. For as a garment is eaten by the moth sprmig out of

— — itself, so man containetli rottenness in himself, whereby he

1 ••j'consumeth, and that which he is, is that whereby he consumelh that he should not be. Which may be taken in another sense also, if it be said in the voice of man when tem])ted; And I as a rotten thing am to consume^ as a garment that is moth eaten. For man ' as a rotten thing consumeth,' in that he is wasted by the corruption of his flesh. And because impure temptation springs up to him from no other source than from himself, like a moth, temptation consumes the flesh, as a garment from which it issues. For man contains in himself the occasion whence he is tempted. Therefore as it were ' the moth consumeth the garment,' whilst it proceeded from that very same garment. However, we ought to bear in mind that the moth digs its way through the garment without any sound, and it very often happens that thought pierces the mind in such a vvay, that the mind itself is not sensible of it, until after it has been pierced by its sting. Therefore it is well said that man ' consumeth like a garment that is moth eaten,' for sometimes we do not know the wounds of temptation, unless after we be pierced thereby within our souls. Which same frailty of ours the holy man yet further considering justly adds;

Chap. xiv. 1. 3Ian that is born of a ivoman liveth a short time, and is full of many miseries. xlix. 65. In Sacred Writ ' woman' is taken either for the sex, Gal. 4, or else for ' frailty.' For the ' sex,' as where it is written, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law.

Ecclus. But for frailly, as where it is said by the Wise Man, Better ' ' is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing well. For ' a man' is the term for every strongrainded and discreet person, but ' a woman' is understood of the weak or indiscreet mind. And it often happens that even the discreet person suddenly falls into a fault, and that another weak and indiscreet man exhibits good j)ractice. But he that is weak and indiscreet is sometimes lifted up the more on the score of what he has done well, and falls the worse into sin; but the discreet person even from that wliich ho sees that he has done amiss, takes occasion to recall himself with closer application to the rule of strictness, ai?^~a?h4mces the further in righteousness from the same act, whereby he seemed to have fallen from Book righteousness for a time. In which respect it is rightly said, —

Better is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing well; in that sometimes the very fault of the strong becomes occasion of virtue, and the virtue of the vreak occasion of sin. In this place then by the name of a woman,' what else but ' frailty' is denoted, when it is said, Man Hint is born of a woman? As if it were said in plainer words, ' What strength shall he have in himself, who was born in frailty?'

QQ. Liveth a short tijne, and is full of many miseries. Observe by the holy man's words we have the punishment of man briefly set forth, in that he is at once stinted in life and filled out in misery. For if we consider with exactness all that is done here, it is punishment and misery. For to minister to the corruption of the flesh by itself in things necessary and peiTuitted is misery, in such measure that clothing should be sought out against cold, food against hunger, coolness against beat. That the health of the body is kept only with great care, that even when kept it is lost, when lost it is recovered not without great dilficulty, and yet after being restored is always in risk; what else is this than the misery of the life of mortality? That we love our friends, mistrusting lest they may be oifended with us; that we dread our enemies, and truly are not secure touching those whom we dread; that we often talk to our enemies as confidentially as to friends, and often take the sincere words of our friends, and those, perhaps, that love us very much, as the words of enemies; and that we, who wish never either to be deceived or to deceive, err the more by our caution; what, then, is all this but the misery of man's life? That after the heavenh^ country has been lost, banished man is delighted with his exile, that he is weighed down with cares, and yet shuts his eyes to considering hov/ great the burthen is, in that he is full of a multitude of thoughts; that he is deprived of the interior light, and yet in this life wishes to prolong his state of blindness; what else is this but miseiy, the offspring of our punishment? Yet though he desire to stay here for long, still he is driven on by the mere current of his mortal life to depart out of it. Hence the holy man rightly adds;

Ver.2. He cometh forth like a Jiowcr, and is crushed: hejleeth also as a shadoic, and never continueth in the same state.

Job 14, 67. For, ' as a flower, he cometh forth,' in that he shews

~ — '- — fair in the flesh: but he is ' crushed,' in that he is reduced

1 to corruption. For what are men, as born in the world, but a kind of flowers in a field? Let us stretch our interior eyes over the breadth of the present world, and, lo, it is filled as it were with as many flowers as there are human beings.

So life in this flesh is the flower in grass. Hence it is well Ps. 103, said by the Psalmist, As for man, It is days are as grass: as flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof is as the flower of the field. For man cometh forth like a flower from concealment, and of a sudden shews himself in open day, and in a moment is by death withdrawn from open view into concealment again. The greenness of the flesh exhibits us to view, but the dryness of dust withdraws us from men's eyes. Like a loneMs. flower we appeared, who were not: like a flower' we wither, grass.' who appeared only in time.

68. And whereas man is daily being driven into death moment by moment, it is rightly added. He fieeth also as a shadow, and never cuntinueth in the same stale. But as the sun is unceasingly going through his course, and never stays himself in a state of stedfaslness, why is the course of man's life likened to ' a shadow' rather than to the ' sun,' excepting that, when he parted with the love of the Creator, he lost the heat of the heart, and remained in the coldness of his iniquity alone? Since according to the voice of Truth, Matt. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall tvax' ' cold. He, then, who hath not warmth of the heart in the \ love of God, and yet keepeth not the life, which he loves, j assuredly he ' fleeth like a shadow.' Hence it is well written Ecclus. concerning him, that lie hath followed a shadow. Now it is well ' ■ said, and never coniinueth in the same state. For whereas infancy is going on to childhood, childhood to youth, youth to manhood, and manhood to old age, and old age to death, in the course of the present life he is forced by the very steps of his increase upon those of decrease, and is ever wasting from the very cause whence he thinks himself to be gaining ground in the space of his life. For wo cannot have a fixed stay here, whither we are come only to pass on; and this very circumstance of our living is to be daily passing out of life. Which same flight the first man could not have known before the transgression, seeing that limes passed, himself standing. Book But after he transgressed, he placed himself on a kind of — slide of a temporal condition, and because he ate the forbidden fruit, he found at once the failure of his stay. Which liability to change man suffers, not only without, but also within him, when he strives to arise to better works. For by the weight of its changeableness the mind is always being driven forwards to some other thing than it is, and, except it be kept in its stay by stringent discipline in self-keeping, it is always sliding back into worse. For that mind which deserted Him, Who ever standeth, lost the stay in which she might have continued.

Henceforth now when he strives after better things, he has as it were to strain against the force of the stream. But when he relaxes in his bent to ascend, without effort he is carried back to the lowest point. Thus whereas in ascent there is effort, in descent rest from effort, the Lord warns us that we have to enter by a narrow gate, saying, Strive to enter in at the strait qate; for when about to Luke mention ' the entering in of the narrow gate,' He premised, ' Strive, since unless there be an ardent striving ^ of the heart, the water of the world is not surmounted, whereby the soul is ever being borne down to the lowest place. And so whereas man ' springeth up like a flower and is cut down, and fleetli also as a shadow, and never continueth in his place,' let us hear what he further subjoins in this train of reflection. It

Ver. 3. And dost Thou deign to open Thine eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with Thee?

69. For he surveyed above both the power of Almighty li. God and his own frailty; he brought before his view himself and God, he considered Who would come into judgment, and with whom. He saw on the one side man, on the other side his Creator, i. e. dust and God; and he rightly exclaims. Dost Thou deign to open Thine eyes upon such an one? With x\lmighty God, to open the eyes is to execute His judgments, to look whom to smite. For as it were with eyes closed He does not wish to look at him, whom He does not wish to smite. Hence it is immediately added also about the ^ al, " unless the purpose of the soul be fervent."

Job 14, judgment itself", To bring Jtim into judgment with Tliee?

— '■ — But whereas he had viewed God coming to iudsnient, he ]jj_ again takes a view or his own irailty. He sees that he cannot be clean of himself, who, that he might be able to be, came forth out of uncleanness. And he adds,

Ver. 4. IVho can make clean a thing conceived of unclean seed? Is it not Thon, WJto only Art? hi. 70. He That alone is clean in Himself can cleanse the unclean thing. For man, who lives in a corruptible flnsh, has the uncleannesses of temptation engrained in him, seeing that he derived them from his birth. For his very conception, for the sake of fleshly gratification, is uncleanness. Hence

Ps.51,7. the Psalmist saith, Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. Hence it is therefore that he is very often tempted even against his will. Hence it is that he is subject to impurities in imagination, even though he strive against them by reason, because being conceived in uncleanness, whilst he follows after cleanness, he is striving to get the better of that which he is. But whoever has mastered the motions of secret temptation, and overcome uncleanness of thought, must never ascribe his cleanness to himself, in that none can make clean a thing conceived of unclean seed, save He Who alone is clean in Himself. Let him, then, that has already reached in mind the place of cleanness, cast his eye upon the way of his conception, which he came by, and thence satisfy himself, that in his own power he has no cleanness of life, the beginning of whose existence was made in uncleanness. But the meaning here may be that l;lessed Job, regarding the Incarnation of the Redeemer, saw that That Man only in the world was not conceived of unclean seed, Who so came into the world from the Virgin's womb, that He had nothing derived from unclean conception. For He did not proceed from the man and the woman, but from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. He only then proved truly clean in His Flesh, Who was incapable of being affected by the gratification of the flesh, seeing that it was not by the gratification of the flesh that He came, hither.

It is the practice of the righteous, to think of the present Lit. life, how transitory it is, so much the more heedfully in proportion as they are taught more earnestly to take thought of the eternal blessings of the heavenly Country; for by those things, which they see lasting within, they more exactly mark the flight of things ]iassing away without. Whence blessed Job, when he had delivered a sentence on the transition of man's time, saying, 3Ian that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live; and again. He Jleeth also as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state; further adds of the shortness of his life;

Ver. 5. The days of man are short, the number of his months is with Thee.

1. For he sees that that^as it were is not with us, which runs by with such great rapidity, but seeing that even things passing away stand with Almighty God, he declares that

* the number of our months is with Him.' Or, indeed, by the ' days,' the shortness of time is denoted, but by the ' months' the spaces of the days are multiplied. Thus to ourselves

* the days are short;' but seeing that our life is further extended afterwards, ' the number of our months' is recorded

, to be with God.' Hence also it is said by Solomon, Length Prov. 3, of days is in her right hand. It goes on;

Thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass.

2. Of the things that happen to men in this world, none ii. come to pass without the secret counsel of Almighty God; for God, foreseeing all things that should follow, before the ages of the world decreed how they should be ordered in the

Job 14, ages of the world. Since it is already appointed to man

■ j^j^ both to what extent the prosperity of the world shall attend him, or in what degree adversity shall fall upon him, that His Elect neither unbounded prosperity may exalt, nor overmuch adversity sink them too low; moreover it is appointed in this very life of mortality how long he shall live with the conditions of time. For although Almighty God added fifteen years to the life of King Ilezekiah, yet at that moment that he suffered him to die, He foresaw he would die. Wherein a question presents itself, viz. how it is that

2 Kings it should be said to him by the Prophet, Set thine house in ' * order, for thou shalt die, and not live? For he, to whom sentence of death was declared, immediately upon his tears had life added to him. Now the Lord said by the Prophet at what time he in himself deserved to die, but by the bountifulness of mercy. He kept him for the undergoing death at that time, which He Himself foreknew before the ages began. Nor even therefore was the Prophet deceptive, because he made known the time of death, at which that man deserved to die, nor were the appointments of the Lord rent and torn, forasmuch as this also, that the years of life should be added to by the bountifulness of God, was foreordained before the ages began; and the period of life, which was added contrary to expectation without, was inwardly appointed without increase upon foreknowledge; and so it is well said. Thou hast appointed his hounds which he cannot pass.

MonAL. 3. Which may also be taken according to the spirit, in that 1 we sometimes endeavour to advance in virtuous attainments, and some gifts we are vouchsafed, but being kept off from some, we lie prone in things below. For there is no man who masters that degree of goodness which he desires, in that Almighty God, Who discerneth the inward parts, sets bounds to the very spiritual attainments themselves; that by reason of that which man tries to master, and is unable, he may not exalt himself in those things, in which he has the power. Whence too that great Preacher, that had been carried up into the third heaven, and penetrated the secrets of Paradise, after that revelation, was not left the power to be at rest, and without temptation; but whereas Almighty God has ' appointed man his liounds, which he cannot pass,' he both exalted him to know things on high, and set him Book down again to be subject to weak things, that he looking at '- the measure of his compass, whilst he endeavoured to lay hold on security, and could not, that he might not be carried out of himself in pride, might be forced in humility ever to return back within his own bounds. It proceeds;

Ver. 6. Turn from him a little lohile, that he may rest, till his longed for day come, as an hireling''s.

4. In this place. Turn from him, means, ' remove from iii.

him the force of the stroke,' for who can rest when He turns away from him, when He Himself alone is rest, and the further off a man is from Him, he is also rendered void of rest in proportion? Thus it is in such sort said. Turn from.

him, that you should understand, ' from smiting;' for it is fitly added, till his longed for day come, as an hireling's. In proportion as an hireling is far from the end of his work, so is he far from the recompense of his wages. Thus every holy man being set in this life, whilst he sees that he is far from departing out of the present life, laments that he is far from the eternal bliss. What then is it to say. Turn from him a Utile while, that he may rest; but, ' withdraw now the strokes of the present life, and shew the blessings of eternal rest?' Whence too it is added concerning that rest itself; till his longed for day come, as an hireling'' s; for then the longed for day as of an hireling comes to man, when he receives eternal rest in compensation for his labour.

But as far as relates to the aspect of the present life, how despicable is the race of man, so full of miseries, blessed

Job yet further tells, and describes how greatly the very things without sense seem to surpass him, when he says; y^

Ver. 7 — 10. For there is a hoj^e of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will he green again; and that the tender branches thereof will sprout forth. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth foliage as when it was planted. But man, when he is dead, and stripped, and consumed, where is he?

5. Now because this is self-evident according to the letter, iv. we must refer the sense to the things of the interior, and J^^st. search how they are to be made out after the spiritual

Job 14, signification. Thus in Holy Scripture by the name of tree'

— LJ_we have represented sometin)es the Cross, sometnnes the Myst.

righteous man, or even the unrighteous man, and sometmies the Wisdom of God Incarnate. Thus the Cross is denoted Jer. 11, by ' the tree,' when it is said, Let us put the tree into his

^^' ^' bread; for to * put the tree into the bread' is to apply the Cross to the Body of our Lord. Again by the title of the tree' we have the just man, or even the unjust man, set forth, Ez. 17, as the Lord saith by the Prophet, / the Lord hare brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree. Forasmuch Lukei4, as according to the word of the self-same Truth, Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and lie that humblelk him-

EccU, self shall be exalted: Solomon also saith, ff the tree fall towards the South, or toivard the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. For in the day of their death the just man does ' fall to the South,' and the unjust ' to the North,' in that both the just man in favour of the Spirit is brought to joy, and the sinner, together with the apostate

Isa. 14, Angel, who said, L tvill sit also upon the mount of the testintony, in the sides of the North, is cast away in his frozen heart. Again, the Wisdom of God Incarnate is represented by

Prov. 3, ' the Tree,' as where it is written thereon. She is a free of life to them that lag hold on ILer. And as She Herself Luke23, says, //" theg do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And so in this place whereas a tree is preferred before man, what is man taken for but every carnal person.? and what is denoted by the title of ' the tree,' but the life of the righteous? For titer e is a hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it tvill be green again. For when in a death of painful endurance the just man is hard bestead * for the truth, in the greenness of everlasting life he is recovered again; and he who here proved green by faith, there J speciem ijetjoiyigs green in actual sight'. ' And his branches shoot,' in that it is most often the case that by the sufferings of the just man, all faithful persons are redoubled in the love of the heavenly country, and they receive the greenness of the spiritual life, while they are glad that he did courageously here in God's behalf. It goes on;

Ver. 8, 9. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth,

and the stock thereof die in the dust; yet through the scent Book of water it will hud, and bring forth leaves as when it was

6. What is ' the root' of the righteous, but holy preaching, v. since it is that he springs out of, and that he hokls on in? and what is meant by the name of ' the earth' or of ' dust,' 3ut the sinner? to whom it is said by the voice of the Creator, ""Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return. Gen. 3, Or, indeed, as our Translation reads, ^ Dust thou art, and i ^^ unto dust shalt thou return. Thus ' the root of the righte- ^"Igous waxes old in the earth, and his stock dies in the dust,' in that in the hearts of the wicked his preaching is despised, and thought dried of all goodness, and ' his stock dies in the dust,' in that amidst the hands of the persecutors his body is bereft of life; for according to the words of Wisdom, In Wisd.3, the sight of the iinivise theij seemed to die, and their depar-^' lure is taken for misery. But this one, whose ' root waxed old in the earth, and whose trunk died in the dust,' through the smell of water, huddeth; in that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the example of his conduct he causes the budding of virtue in the hearts of the Elect. For by Ithe designation of water sometimes the watering of the Holy Spirit is used to be understood, as where it is written, 7/" John 7, any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. Butj^^^^^ whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall^^- never thirst. It follows; And bring forth foliage as when it was first j)lanted. To ' bring forth foliage on the stock being cut down' is, when the just man is put an end to in the body, by the mere example of his suifering to raise up the hearts of many, and out of a right faith to shew forth the greenness of truth. And it is well said. As ivhen it was first planted. All that is done by the righteous here is a second planting; in that clearly the first planting does not consist in the practice of the good, but in the foreknowledge of the Creator; and whereas all that the Elect do, as it is first seen and settled interiorly, so afterwards is executed outwardly, it is well said. And bring forth foliage as when it was first planted, i. e. it shews its greenness in the exe-

Job 14, cuting of practice, such as it had before in the foreknowledge

7. The 'root of the righteous' may also be taken for the very nature itself of a human being, by virtue whereof he subsists, which same i"oot waxes old in the earth, when the natural frame of flesh comes to nought being reduced to dust, whose ' stock dies in the dust,' in that the body dismantled of its own form and fashion crumbles to nought; but at the ' scent of water it buds,' in that through the coming of the Holy Spirit it rises again; and it will hringforth boughs afi ichen it was Jirst planted, in that it returns to that form, which it was created to receive, if, when he was set in Paradise, he had refused to sin. Proph. 8, Which perhaps may also be taken of the Lord Himself, Who is the Head of all the good; for according to that which we have.said before, whereas He saith of Himself, Luke For if they have done these things in a green tree, what ^^' ^^' shall he done in a dry? He said that Himself was the green tree, and we the dry tree, forasmuch as He contained in His own Person the power of the Divine Nature, but we that are mere men are called a dry tree. And so ' there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,' in that even ii' He was able to be put to death by His Passion, yet by the glory of His Resurrection, He came to the greenness of life again; ' His branches shoot,' in that the faithful being multiplied by His Resurrection grew out far and wide; His root as it were waxed old in the earth, in that the preaching of Hitn was to the unbelief of the Jews a despicable thing; ' and His stock dried in the dust,' in that in the heart of those that persecuted Him, which was uplifted by the wind of their unbelief, He Avas held as an object of scorn and contempt, in that He was capable of being put to death in the flesh; but ' at the scent of water He budded,' in that through the power of God His Flesh after demise returned to life, accord- Acts 3, ing to that which is written, Whom God hath raised from the dead. For in that God is a Trinity, the Holy Trinity, i. e. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, raised up to life the extinct Flesh of the Only-Begotten Son. And ' It brought forth foliage as when It was first planted,' in that the feebleness of the Apostles, which in the season of His death was afraid and denied, and by denying turned dry, by the Book glory of His Resurrection was again quickened in faith. In '- comparison with which Tree what is every man but dust? Hence it is added;

9. There is no man without siu; save Him Who came not vi. into this world by sin; and whereas all we are tied fast in the bonds of guilt, we die by the mere loss of righteousness. Of the robe of innocence given us aforetime in Paradise, we are stripped naked, and we are yet further consumed by the subsequent dissolution of the flesh. Thus man being a sinner dies in guilt, is stripped bare of righteousness, is consumed in punishment. This nakedness of his erring son the Father vouchsafed to cover, who said, on his returning to him. Bring forth quickly the Jirst robe. For ' the first Luke robe' is the robe of innocence, which man being created ^^' ^2- aright received, but being persuaded wrongly by the serpent forfeited. Against this same nakedness it is said, Blessed wEev. 16, he that uatclieth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked. For we ' keep our garments,' when we keep the precepts of innocency in our hearts, that whereas guilt strips us naked to the Judge, penance should cover us returning to the innocence we had forfeited. And it is well said, Where, I pray, is he'^ in that the sinner, man, refused to stand there where he was created; while here, where he fell, he is forbidden to stay for long. Willingly he forfeited his country, unwillingly he is driven forth from his exile, which he delights in. Where then is he, who is not in His love, where only it is truly to be? It proceeds;

Ver. 11, 12. As if the waters fail from the sea, and the river being emptied drieth up: so man lieth down, and

10. The mind of man is the sea, and the thoughts of his vii. mind, as it were, a wave of the sea; which sometimes swell in anger, are made calm by grace, and from hatred run out in bitterness; but when man dieth, ' the waters of the sea fail,' in that according to the words of the Psalmist, In that very Ps. 146, day his thoughts perish. And again it is written concerning ' the dying soul, Also their love, and their hatredf and their ^'^'^^^ 9,

Job 14, envy shall perish together. Thus ' the river being eraptied IhJll drieth up ' in that, when the soul is withdrawn, the body remains empty. For the lifeless body is as it were the empty channel of a river, wherein it is to be marked with an attentive eye that the present life, i. e. the time while the soul stays in the body, is likened to the sea and to a river, for the water of the sea is bitter, of a river sweet. And because we that are living here are at one time under the influence of certain bitternesses, and at another time are seen to be serene and gentle with sweetness, the course of the present life is set forth by the similitude of the sea and a river.

11. But herein that seems to be exceedingly hard which is added, So man lietlt down, and riseth not. Wherefore do we so toil and labour, if we are not straining after the recompense of the Resurrection? And how is it said, and riseth not, 1 Cor. when it is written, We shall all rise again, but we shall not Taw' ^'^ ^^ changed? And again, If in this life only we have hope V. 19. of life in Christ, we are of all men most miserable: and when John 5, ' Truth' says by Itself, All that are in the graves shall hear 28. 29. jc^^-^ voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. But the sentence subjoined points out what distinction there is concealed in the sentence preceding. For it is added;

Till ilie heavens be no more they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. viii. 12. For it is plain that they shall not rise again, that is, till the heavens be no more, in that except the end of the world come, the race of mankind shall not wake to life from the sleep of death. Not, then, that he shall not rise again at all, but that before the crumbling of the heavens the human race shall not rise again, is what he teaches. Moreover it is a thing to be marked, why after he had called man dead above, below he designates him not dead, but sleeping, and tells that he shall never rise again from his sleep until the heaven be crumbled in pieces, which is no otherwise than that it is plainly given us to understand, that by the likeness of the tree quickened afresh to life, he designates man a dead sinner, i. e. extinct from the life of righteousness; but when lie speaks of the death of the flesh, he preferred to call this not death but sleep, teaching ns surely the hope of the Book Resurrection; in that as a man quickly awakes out of sleep, —^ — '— so shall he rise in a moment at the nod of his Creator from the death of the body. For the name of death is horribly feared by weak minds, but the title of sleep is not feared. Hence Paul in charging his disciples saith, But I would^'^^^^^' not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not as men without hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring again with Him. How is it that the great Preacher calls the death of the Lord death, but the death of the servants of the Lord he names not death, but sleep; but that, having regard to the weak hearts of his hearers, he mixes the medicine of his preaching with wonderful art, and Him, Whom they knew to have risen already, he does not doubt to teach them was dead, while those, who had not as yet risen again, that he might teach the hope of the Resurrection, he calls not dead, but sleeping.? For he did not fear to call Him dead Whom his hearers knew to have already risen, and he was afraid to call those dead, whose rising again they scarcely believed. Thus blessed Job, seeing that he does not doubt of those that are dead in the flesh waking again to life, calls them sleeping rather than dead. It goes on;