Morals on the Book of Job (Moralia)

7 J. 'Cocytus1 in the Greek tongue is the term for 'lament- lx. ation,1 which is used to he taken for the lamentation of women, or any persons going weakly. Now the wise of this world being shut out from the light of truth, endeavoured by making search to hold a kind of shadows of truth. Hence they thought that the river Cocyius ran amongst the dead below, clearly denoting that they that commit deeds worthy of painful inflictions, run to an end into hell nnto lamentation. But for ourselves let us make little of the shadow of carnal wisdom, who now hold the light relating to the truth, and let us see that in the utterance of the holy man 'Oocytes' means the lamentation of the weak sort. For it is written, Be of ij nod courage, and let your heart he strengthened. Pg.si, For they who refuse to be 'strengthened1 in God, are going ' the way to lamentation through weakness of the mind. Now we ue used to call by the name of pebbles the little stones of rivers, which the water in running away carries along with it. What then is denoted by the pebbles of Cocytus, but the lost, who, being devoted to their gratilications, are as it were ever being dragged by tin river down to the lowest depth. For they that refuse to stand strong and Btedfast against the pleasures of this life, become ' pebbles of Cocytus,' who by their slippiugs day by day are going the way to lamentation, job 21, that they mav hereafter mourn for everlasting. who now indiil^fiitlv aive themselves a loose in their pleasures. And Pkopb. ' •.

whereas oar old enemy, having entered into his ressel, thai son of perdition, whilst he bestows gifts on the pricked, whilst he exalts them with honours in this world, whilst he exhibits marvels t" their eyes, h;is all drifting souls admiring and follow* in^ him in his marvels, it is said well of him here, / A n CM si,-,, i lull,, pebbles of Cocyiue. For whilst the Elect despise him, whilst lli' \ spurn him with the foot <>l the mind, those love while they follow him, who are as it were drawn by the water of pleasure t<» everlasting lamentation, who from earthly concupiscence roll down to the lowest depth like gravel, by Blippings day by day. For to some he proffers the taste of his sweetness through pride, to others through avarice; to one set by envy, to another by deceitfulness, ami to another by lu>t. and I'm]- all tin- lands of evil that he lor,-,- men to, he presents to them so many draughts of bis sweetness. Fox when he prompts any thing proud in the heart, the tiling becomes sweet that he Bays, because the wicked man Longs to appear advanced above the rest of the world. Whilst he strives tO infuse avarice into the mind, that which he speaks in secret becomes sweet, because by abundance need is avoided. When he suggests any thing to do with envy, what he says is rendered sweet, in that when the froward mind sees another go off, it exults in not appearing at all inferior to him. When it prompts anj thing to do with deceitfulness, what it says is made BWeet, seeing that by this alone, that it deceives the n si of tin- world, it appears tO itself to be wise.

Winn it speaks lust to the seduced soul, what it recommends is rendered sweet, in that it dissolves the soul in pleasure. Therefore, for all the evil propensities that it insinuates into the hearts o| carnal men, it as it were holds out to them so many draughts of its BWeetneaS; which same sweetness, however,;is 1 have before said, none rec< ive save they, who being devoted to present gratifications, are drawn i" everlasting lamentation. And so it is will said, 11, wot si,,, t in the pebblet qf Cocyiue i m ■< in,ur that he is bitter to the Elect and sweet to the lost. For them only docs he feed with his delights, whom by daily slippings he is urging to tnlichrisi draws many carnal now, all at lust. j-j.i

Ver. 88..///'/ he draweth every man after him, as there Booi are innutm table before him. _l

7-2. In this place by ' man1 is meant one whose taste is for lxi. things human* Bui whereas ' every one' is more than an innumerable' quantity, ire have t<» enquire, wherefore he is said before him to thaw an ' innumerable1 quantity, and after him 'every man' saving that our old enemy, having then entered into the man of perdition, drags under the y«»ke of his sovereignty all the carnal ones that he finds; who even now before his appearing ' draws an innumerable quantity1 indeed, yet not ' every one' of the carnal, in that there are many that are daily retailed to life from carnal practice, and some by a short, others by a long course of penitence return to the state <»f righteousness. And now he seizes on an ' innumerable quantity,1 when he does not exhibit the miracles of his falsem »s for men to marvel at. But when he performs his prodigies before the eyes of the carnal for them to wonder at, he then draws after him not an ' innumerable quantify,' but ' every one,' in that they who delight themselves in present good things, submit themselves to his power without repeal. Hut as we before said, because it is more to ' draw every man' than an ' innumerable quantity,' wherefore is it first said that he draws every man, and afterwards in augmentation an innumerable quantity is added? For reason requires that first what is least should be spoken of, and afterwards in augmentation that which is more. Now we are to know that in this passage it was more to say, ' an innumerable quantity1 than ' every man.' For he after him ' draws every man,' in that in three years and a half all that he may find busied in the pursuits of a carnal life he binds fast to the yoke of his dominion; but before him he draws an innumerable quantity, in that during the successive stages of five thousand years ami more, though he could nevei succeed in drawing all the carnal, yet in so long;i period the innumerable quantity whom he carries away before him, are many more in number lli, in ' all1 whom he finds to carry oil' in that BO short time. And so it is well said. And he dntit < th every man after him, also innumerable before hint; in that he both takes away less then, when he takes away ' every man/ and he gets a bigger booty now, when he assails the hearts of an * innu-

JoB2i,mgrable quantity.1 Whereas blessed Job then delivered

,,' ' these things excellently against the prince of the wicked, But. ■....

who is permitted to be exalted in this life, but will be destroyed in the coming of the Lord, touching himself he plainly Bhews that he received the Bcourges of the Lord not by his offending, since it' the had man is permitted tn prosper in this life, it is necessary that the elect of God should be held fast under the reins of the scourge. From which circumstance he reproves his friends, saying,

I fun- then comfort ye we in ruin, seeing your ansun r is shewn to be against Truth? Ixii. 73. The friends of blessed Job could not console him, in whom they gainsaid the truth by their discourse, and when they called him a hypocrite or ungodly, hereby that they themselves by lying were guilty of sin, assuredly they augmented the chastisement of the righteous man chastened with wounds. For the minds of the Saints, because they love the truth, even the sin of another's deceit wrings. For in proportion as they see the guilt of falsehood to be grievous, they hate it not only in themselves, but in others also.

Those persons, who being opposed to the words of truth, Lit. get the worst in making out a case, often repeat even what is well known, lest by holding their tongue they should seem defeated. Hence Eliphaz, being pressed closely by the sayings of blessed Job, utters things which no one but is aware of. For he says,

Yer. 2. Can a man be compared tenia God, even when he has perfect knowledge?

1. By comparison with God, our knowledge is ignorance, i. for it is by participation, and not by comparison, with God that we become imbued with wisdom. What wonder then when that is said, as if in the way of instruction, which might have been known, even if it had been kept silent? And yet further he subjoins the power of God as defending it.

Yer. 3. Is it any profit to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to Him, that thou makesi thy ivays perfect?

2. For in all that we do well, we are doing good to ourselves iiand not to God. And hence by the Psalmist it is said, O my soul, Ps.16,2. thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my God, seeing that Thou needest not my goods. For He is truly ' Lord' to us, because He is also assuredly ' God,' Who needs not the good in him that serveth Him, but bestows the goodness which He receives, so that the goodness which is offered up should avail not Himself, but those that first receive and afterwards render back. For though the Lord, when He cometh for Judgment, saith, Inasmuch as ye have done it Mat.25, unto the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto ' Me; it is with extraordinary pitifulness that He says this, by sympathy with His members. And 1 lu the same Being VOL. II. Q

Fob 99, hereby, viz. thai He is our Head, aids, Who b) om good ~ ' deeds in Mix members is aided. Yet farther Kliphaz adds what there La no man l>ut is aware of, Baying,

\ 1 1. 1. \\ ill He reprove thee for fear oftheef Will ll< enter with thee into judgment f iii..'{. Who that WSS 001 of his BOUSeS I vi n would think tliis.

that from liar the Lord reproves us, and from dread srts His judgment against us r Hut they who do not know how to mete their words, doubtless slip down to idle discourse Wherein if they never at all take themselves to task, without delay they hap forth to words mischievous and insulting. I [ence Eliphaz, who brought in idle words, immediately burst out into abusive ones, Baying,

Ver. 5. Is it nut for thy wickedness thai is great, and thine iniquities that are infinite?

iv. 4. Observe how from a deadened hearths came to idle words, ami from idK' words in the heinoiisness of lying be blazed out into insults. For tl: scents of increasing sin, that the tongue when not restrained should never there where ii has fallen lie still, but be always descending to what; hut these things that are subjoined, because they are very plain taken alter the history, do not need to be set forth after the letter.

5. But whereas we have said that the friends of bit ssed Job hear the likeness of lit relies, hut that lie himself hears the representing of Holy Church, the words <>f E&liphaz how they lit the falseness of heretics, let us now at once point out. For it proceeds;

Ver. 6 — 8. For thou hast taken a pledge from tfty brother for nought, t ndslrippi d the naked of their clothing. Thou hast nut given water t" tin weary, thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. In the might of thine arm thou dills/ possess the land, ami us tin most powerful thou didst hah I it.

>. <;. In Holy Scripture by the term ot ';i pled-. times sin, are denoted. Tims pledge is taken as the gift of the B Spirit, as where it iv said L\ Paul, Ami given ikeear* n. si,,/ //,, Spirit m our hearts, for we receive apledge foe this, that we m;i\ hold an i< i touching tin' promise that is made to us. And so the gift of the Holy Spirit is Booi called a pledge, in that by this our soid is strengthened to- - assuredness of the inward hope. Again by the name of a ' pledge' confession of sin is used to be intended, as it is written in the Law; If thy brother oweth thee aught, antf Ex.22, thou takest away a pledge from him, restore the pledge before the setting of the sun. For our brother is made a debtor to us, when any fellow-creature is proved to have done any thing wrong against us. For sins we call ' debts.' Whence it is said to the servant when he sinned, I forgave Mat.18, thee all that debt. And in the Lord's Prayer we pray daily,' Forgive us our debts, as toe forgive our debtors. Now weMatt.fi, * take a pledge1 from our debtor, when from the lips of him who is found to have sinned against us, we have now gotten a confession of his sin, whereby we are entreated to remit the sin, which was committed against us. For he that confesses the sin that he has done, and begs pardon, has already as it were given a ' pledge' for his debt, which pledge we are bidden to ' restore before the sun set,' because be lore that in ourselves through pain of heart the Sun of righteousness shall set. we are bound to render back the acknowledgment of pardon to him, from whom we receive the acknowledgment of transgression, that he who remembers that he has done amiss towards ns. may be made sensible that what he has done amiss is by us at once remitted. Therefore whereas Holy Church, when it receives back any returning from heretics to the truth of the faith, first persuades them thai they must confess the sin of their error, it is said by Eliphaz as under the likeness of heretics; For thou hast taken away a pledge from thy brother for nought, i. •■. ' From those, that come to thee from us, thou didst exact a confession oi < rror to no purpose.' But, as we said before, il we suppose a ' pledge' the gifts of the Holy Spirit, heretics sa) that Holy Church has' tak the pledge of her brothers,' because they imagine that those that come to her, lose the gifts of the Spirit. Hence it follows. \nd stripped the naked of their clothing.

7. Those whom they draw after them by their perverted preaching, hi ounl to have the precepts of their teaching as a kind ol garments, and they est* em them to be job ss, clothed so long a- the things which they themselves preached. ' they witness observed by them, and when any persons return to Holy Church from them, ihey immediately fancy that they have lost the garments of instruction. But whereas one that is naked cannot be spoiled, we have ti> enquire bow they are first mentioned as * naked,1 and afterwards as ' stripped?1 Now it is necessary to know that every one that enjoys purity of mind, by tin- verj circumstance that he lias nut tin' cloak (if double-dealing, is ' naked.' And there are -i>ui" among the Heretics, who hare purity of heart indeed, but yet take u]) the corrupt tenets of their teaching. These same are at once by their own purity ' naked,' and by the preaching of those persons they are as it were clothed. And whereas all such are easily brought hack ti> Holy Church, for this reason that they do not use the wickedness of doubledealing, those persons heretics acknowledge as naked, whom they call stripped by her of their clothing, because they look upon all the simple-minded as slow and dull, who, tiny see, have parted with their own corrupt tenets.

8. It follows; Thou hast >i<>t given /rater to the weary t,ni<l thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. Heretics in proportion as they hold not the solid substance of truth, so sometimes thej busy themselves, that they may appear full of discourse, ami against the faith ot Catholics they are boastful as of the knowledge of learning; all that they see they seek to draw to them by their wicked discoursing, and h\ the very same act, whereby they are joining others to themselves for destruction, they think themselves doing something conducive to life. Now we call those * weary1 that are worn down under the wearisome load of this world. Mat li, And hence Truth saith by Himself, Come unto Me, all ue thai labour and are heavy laden, a/at I ir/lt //ire you rest* And so whereas heretics never cease to preach their own d ictrines, they mock at Holy Church as if for ignorance. TIlOU hast not given /eater to the /rear//, and ///on l/asl uitliholden breadfrom the hungry. For themselves they think they ' give water to the weary' when to persons travailing under their earthly load they supply the cup of their own error. Ami tiny look upon it that they themselves have ii.pI ' withholden bread from the hungry,1 in th.it when ques-

They say the Church holds: hack I 'rath, and pre rails by poiccr. '2'20 tioncd even touching things invisible and incomprehensible, Boob they answer with pride and boldness; and they then set themselves down as learned above all men, when they most miserably presume to speak on things unknown. But Holy Church when she sees any one hungering for that which it would not be for his good to get, cither on the one hand if they be things already known to her keeps them back with reserve, or if they appear to be unknown as yet, confesses it with humility; and such she recalls to a sense of well-regulated humility, when she bids every one of them bv her Preacher, not to he wise of himself above that he Rom.

ought to think, hut to think soberly. And again, Be not ' hiyhminded, but fear. And again, Seek not out the tliinys 1 1, 20.

that are too deep for thee; neither search the things that Ecclus.

are above thy strength. And again, Hast thou found honey/,,niV eat so much as is sufficient for tliee, lest perchance thou be-3, mfilled therewith, and vomit it. For to ' find honey,' is to taste the sweetness of holy intelligence. Which is eaten enough of then, when our perception according to the measure of our faculty is held tight under control. For he is ' fdled with honey, and vomits it,' who in seeking to dive deeper than he has capacity for, loses that too from whence he might have derived nourishment. And so, seeing that Holy Church forbids it to feeble minds to dive into deep truths, it is said to blessed Job, And thou hast with/widen bread from the

9. And her greatness also because heretics envy, because she keeps the companies of people every where in the true faith, when they meet with a season of earthly prosperity, they launch out againstherin terms of pride, and by their upbraiding disclose how greatly before they secretly envied her power.

Thus it follows; For in the might of thine arm thou didst possess the earth, and as the most powerful thou didst hold it. As if he said in plain words, ' Whereas thou didst take possession of the earth every where in thy preaching, it was the power of might, and not the reasonableness of truth.

For whereas they see that Christian princes hold fast her preaching, all the credit which is given to her by the people, they look upon not as the efficacy of righteousness, but the account of secular power. It goes on;

230 The Church said to rob men oftfnii (■ a, -hers and their strength. Jon 22, \,.r. o. ThOM hast sf)// widows OWay empty, and tlic 0TMU

— oj the fatherless hast thou broken.

vl- 10. The common multitudes thai are brought under to 'heretics <»n their preaching by a carnal understanding cobcm ive the corrupt seeds of their false doctrine, and are joined to them in their condemnation* But when the preachers "t errors themselves, Holy (.'lunch either receives into bet bosom subdued by reason, <>r binds in under the fetters <>t her discipline, being hardened by attachment i<> evil; heretics, being deserted, when they see that the people remain l< It with themselves without preachers, what else do they but lament the 'widows' left » • 1 1 1 j > t \ by Holy Church? \ud whereas when the masters of heretics arc withdrawn, they imagine that their disciples are enfeebled in theii practice, they complain that the arms of the fatherless are broken by Holy Church as it were. Or in another way, because when Holy Church receives persons coining b from heretics, it is plain without a doubt thai she stands up against their former error. Thus there are some that are so attached to virginity of the flesh, that they condemn marriage, and there are Borne who so extol abstinence, that they abhor those that take nece irishm at Concerning whom iTim.4,it is said by Paul, Forbidding to marry, and commanding to a hst a in front meats, which dad hath created to b\ with thanks;// ri/ii/ of them which Those persons then ■ ' eiug she recalls from the carnal bias of their superstitious belief, when heretics see such living otherwise than they taught them, they hear witness that to the waj of acting which they before maintained, their 'arms are broken1 by Holy Church. And hence in this p< riod of discipline, if any piece of misfortune chance to befall her, the) suppose that it has come in meet n tribution lor her sins. For it is

tuddt nfear troubleth th vd 1 1. That man ' sudden fear doth trouble,' who neglects n> isider what th mging over his head from the -« \ erity of the Judge, when He comes. Therefore, whereas heretics look upon the faithful people as borne down by sins of misbelief) they make it that ' snan ire round about

Troubles taken for judgments. Charge, of fore thoughts of God. 28 1 them.' And because they believe that it docs not foresee Book

\ v I the future, they suppose this people under the smiting to be 'troubled with sudden fear;' which persons adding yet further insult subjoin,

nest; and thai thou wouldest not he borne dona with the rJ,^/'ll, force of overflowing waters.

As it' he said in plain speech; ' Thou didst promise thyself security of peace in hope, and therefore thou wast glad for thine assurance as for the light, nor ever thoughtest for thyself to be oppressed with tribulation. But see, whilst thou art afflicted with evils coining upon thee, whether what thou inaintainest be right, the very darkness of trouble which weighs upon thee makes plain; which same troubles Eliphaz compares to ' overflowing waters,' in that whilst one set rushes in over another, as in swoln waters waves follow waves. It goes on,

Ver. 12 — 14. Dost thou bethink thee that Cod is in tin heigh/ of heaven, and high above the height of the stars f And thou sages/, How doth Cod know? and, lie judge/ h as in the dark. Thick clouds are a covering to Him, thai He seeth not our matters; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.

12. There are very many so dull that they cannot dread viii. aught, saving what they sec in a bodily form. Whence it is brought to pass that they do not fear God, in that they cannot see Him. But heretics because thej think themselves wise utter words of insult agaiust Catholics, and imagine that He is not feared by them, because they are unable to see Him in a bodily shape, so that as it were from deadness of perception they think that their Maker, because He is higher than heaven and exalted above the tops of the stars, is not able to see from a distance, and that because between ourselves and the seat of heaven the regions of the air are interd, He, 'as it were buried in a cloud passes judgment out of the darkness,' and intent upon things above, the less considers those below, and whilst He holds together the hinges of heaven by encircling them, doth not see into the interior parts. But who that was out of his right mind even, could suspect such things of Grod. Who indeed, whereas j God partially hi'l- 1 Himself, as th< Church well knou i.

.inB n, 1 [e is always Omnipotent, bo minds all things that He is present to each one individually, and bo pre* nt i" each that His Presence is never wanting t<» all together. For though lie forsaki - i" rsons when they sin, yet t<» those rery persons II. is present in resp< ct of judgment, to whom He is Been to lie wanting in respect ot aidance. Therefore He so encircles whit is without that lie ye1 lills what is within, so (ills what is within that He yet encircles what is without, so rules the heights above that He docs not quit the depths below, is in such Bort present to the parts beneath that He docs not depart from those above, is so concealed in Mis own appearance that nc\ cithclcss He is Known in I lis working, so know n in His work that yet He cannot he comprehended by the calculation of the person knowing Him; He is in such a way present that yet He cannot be seen, in such a way impossible to be seen that yet His very own judgments hear witness to His Presence, so yields Himself to he understood by ns that yet the very ray of the perception of Himself He overclouds to uv, and again so holds us in by the darkness of ignorance that notwithstanding He shines into our minds with the ra\ s of His brightness, so that at once by being lifted np it mav sec something, and made to recoil may tremble all over, and, because such as He is it is impossible to see Him, may yet know llim by seeing Him some little. But all this heretics do not reckon Holy Church to be acquainted with, because by a foolish judgment tiny suppose that they alone are wise.

In a type of whom it is yet further added;

13. As the 'way' of our Redeemer is humility, so the way of the world 18 pride. And so wicked men tread the way of the world, in that by the desires of this world they walk in sell-exaltation. Of which same wicked persons it is yet further added;

Ver. Hi. Which were taken away before their tinte, whose foundation was overflown with a flood,

14. Whereas the period of OUT life U assuredly foreordained for us in the foreknowledge of God, it is a \ erv important withdrawn from the present world ' before their time.' For

Almighty God though lie often change His sentence, yet Boob His counsel never. At that time, then, is every man XVI- 'taken away1 from this life, at which by Divine power he is foreknown to be before all times. But it is necessary to be known, that Almighty God in creating and disposing of us, according to the deserts of each one also appoints his bounds too, so that either that bad man should live a short time, lest he do mischief to numbers doing right; or that this good man should last longer in life, that he may prove a helper of good practice to numbers; or again that the bad man should be detained longer in life, to add yet more to his wicked deeds, purified by the testing whereof the righteous may live a truer life; or that the good man should be withdrawn more speedily, lest if he were to live long here, wickedness should spoil his innocence. Yet it is to be borne in mind, that it is the loving-kindness of God, to vouchsafe to sinners space for repentance. But because the times vouchsafed they do not turn to the fruits of penance, but to the service of iniquity, what by the mercifulness of God they might have obtained, they let go out of their hands. Although Almighty God foreknows that time of each individual for death, at which his life is brought to an end; nor could any one ever have died at any time, saving at that actual time when he does die. For if to Hezekiah fifteen years are related to have been added for life, the time of his life was increased from that end, indeed, in which of himself he deserved to die; for God's providence foreknew his time at that point whereat He afterwards withdrew him out of the present life. This then being so, what does it mean that it is said, that the wicked were cut down before their time, but that all they that love the present life, promise to themselves longer periods of that life? But when death coming on withdraws them from the present life, the spaces of their life, which they were wont as it were in imagination to draw cut to themselves longer, it cuts asunder. Of whom it is rightly said, whose foundation was overflown with a flood.

15. For the wicked while they neglect in heart to go on to the things of eternity, and do not observe that all things present are fleeting, fix their heart on the love of the present life, and as it were therein construct for themselves the

284 The Elect lime their settletm tsi kerea/b >. the /"id lien-.

Job tt, foundation of ^ long abode, because by desire th«\ m established in earthly things. Thus Cain is described the tin,, i, first to bare constructed a city upon earth, who thereby is '"• plainly proved an alien, in that the same set a foundation upon earth, irho was alien to the Btedfastneas of Ifae eterna] world; for being;i Btranger t<» the things above, he baa settled his foundation in things beneath, who has placed the settling of hi> heart in earthly delight. And hence, in the stock of that man, Enoch, which isbj interpretation 'dedication,' is born the first But in the offspring of the Elect Enoch is described to have been the seventh, in this way, because the suns of perdition by building dedicate themsi Ives in this Life which conies first, but the Elect await the dedication of their building up in the end of time, i. e. th< seventh number. 1'". one may & numbers minding temporal things alone, seeking after honours, open-mouthed after the compassing • >ok out foi nothing alter this life. What then do these but * dedicate themselves' in the first generation \ One may see the Elect seeking notbii present glory, gladly bearing want, undergoing the ills of this life with a composed mind, thai they may be crown I at the Geo.6, end. And so to the Elect Enoch is horn in the Beventh generation, in that the dedication of their joy they Look for in the glory of the last retribution. And whereas by tindaily lapse of lime the mortal state in the present life it-ell' inns to an end, and destroys the dedication of the children of perdition by removing those very children of i" rdition, it i- rightlj Baid of the wicked, Whoxe foundation was overflown nil h a //cuil; i. e. th • mere eonr.se of changeable u< bs overthrows in them the settlement of wicked rearing. It

\i. I(i. That this too blessed Job had said, w ho can doubt?

Job 81, But what we have unfolded in his words, OU account of wearying the reader, we forbear to rep< at. It goes on;

In this part likewise the wording, and not the Btatenu nt, is

II, changed, for what was expressed b) blessed Job; What i.s the Almighty that we should tt >n I Inn i- expn seed by

Eliphaz, And at though the Almighty could do nothing, so B i reckoned concerning Him. It goes on;

Ver. 18. Yet ll< ha* fitted their houses with good things.

17. The Lord ' filleth the houses of the wicked with good things,1 in that even to the unthankful He refuses not His gifts, that either they may blush at the loving-kindness of their Creator and be brought back to goodness, or altogether despising to return thereto, may from the same cause be there worse punished, that here they rendered an evil return lor God's more bounteous good, so that severer woes should there chastise those whose wickedness here not even gifts overcame. It goes on;

But let their sentence be far from nic.

This too was expressed by blessed Job. For he says, Whose counsel be far from me. Though 'sentence' may job 21, be taken for one thing and 'counsel' for another; for ' 'sentence' is in the mouth, ' counsel' in the thoughts. And so whereas Eliphaz wished himself far from the ' sentence' of the wicked, and blessed Job from the ' counsel,' it is plain without denial, that the fust desires to be unlike the words of the wicked, but the other unlike their way of thinking •i es on;

Ver. 19. The righteous shall see it and be glad; and I la; innocent one shall laugh litem to scorn.

I 3. The righteous when they see the unrighteous erring xiii. here cannot be glad for the error of persons ruining themselves. For if they rejoice in errings, they cease to be righteous. Again, if in the leeling of triumph they be glad, for this that they are not such as they see others are, they are altogether full of pride. Hence the Pharisee lost his jnstifi- * ation, because being glad he set himself above the merits of the Publican, saying, / thank Thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as tins Publican. Again, if we say that the righteous can triumph with a. perfect joy over the death of the wicked, what sort of thing ifl joy l"i vengeance on sinners in this world, wherein the life of the righteous is still uncertain? Let us then distinguish In twee n the times of trembling and exulting. For the righteous see the unrighteous now, and pine at their wickedness; and when they see those smitten, they are mad<

286 The righteous ^Imll rejoia in GooVs final Judgment.

Job as, distrustful touching their own lift too. When then shall the —'righteous see the destruction <>!' the wicked and h<- glad, saving w Inn with the strict Judge they incorporate henceforth with perfect sun n< si of triumphing, when in that final [nquesl they shall see the condemnation <»t those, and shall nun no longer hare aught to fear for themselves} Nowtherefore tin \ sec the children of perdition and groan, then they shall see them and laugh tin m to scorn, because in triumphing tin \ shall set at nought those, whom now they neither see doing wickedness without groaning nor dying f'<>r their wickedness without fearing. Elence by that which is added it is proved that the thing is Bpoken as concerning their final condemnation. For the sentence is directly introduced, \ Vr. 20. Is ><<>/ their /■>■(■<■////</ cut i/>>rci/, and the remnant WLtkattofthem th< Jure luitlt consumed* f

""' l«t. For h.re the wicked are erected, in that tiiey are lifted up in bad deeds. Fur they both do wickedly, and yel for their wicked deeds they are not Btricken. Thej Bin and thrive, they add tt) their sins, and multiply earthly good.

But ' their erecting is cut down1 then, when they are either dragged from the present life to destruction, or from the sight of the Eternal Judge t>> the eternal burning <>i hell.

Which people, though here they quit their dead flesh, yel that same in the resurrection thej receive again, that together with that flesh they may burn, in which fiesb they did their sin. For as their sin was in mind and hotly, st> the punishment shall be in spirit and flesh alike. Therefore, whereas not even that shall be <|iiit of torment to them, which In re the) have dead, it is rightly said now, the remnant of them the Jure hath consumed. It goes on;

thereby thou shalt have the beet fruits. Receive, lprautheet the law from his mouthfand lay up lii< words in thine heart,

X\. 20. There is the sin of pride in teaching one better than

Allbo. one's self, which heretics are often guilty of, who touching things which the\ have WTOng notions of, (a]N,. upon them ii to instruct Catholics. For such they think are then ' at one with God,' it it chance for them to assent t<> their bad ways; and to those thus 'at one1 thej promise peace, in that tin \ In net forth 00886 t" miarn 1 with those who agree with themselves. Now 'the best fruits1 they Boos promise to those agreeing with themselves, in that they '- believe that they only do good works, whom they triumph in themselves drawing in to their own tenets; which persons this also suits that he adds, Receive, I pray, the late out of His mouth; because the things they think of their own luads, they fancy proceed from the mouth of God. And lay up His words in thine heart; as if he asserted it in plain words, saying, ' which up to this present time in thy mouth thou hast held, and not in thine heart.1 For because he1 rejected their corrupted tenets, they allege against 'aLHoly him2 that the words of God he had held not in the feeling, 94. her but in the shewing off Whence, as if under a certain *°« appearance of sweetness, they insinuate the poison of pestilent persuading, so as to admonish the Church to lay up the words of God in the heart; which words, if they hud ever departed from her heart, from those persons she would never have heard such things. It follows;

Ver. "23. //' thoit return to the Almighty, thou shall be built up, thou shall put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.

21. That the faithful people have gone away from God is xvi. the opinion of heretics, because they see it opposed to their preachings; which same, when they see it afflicted with present calamities, they endeavour, as if by admonition, to draw to their Maker's Grace, saying, If thou return In the Almighty, thou slialt be built up. As if they said in plain words; Win reas by gainsaying our doctrines thou hast gone away from the Lord, therefore to the building up of righteousness thou art undone. Now by a tabernacle we understand sometimes the habitation of the body, and sometimes the habitation of the heart; for as by the soul we inhabit the body, so by the thoughts we inhabit the mind. Therefore ' iniquity in the tabernacle' of the mind is an evil bent in the attachment of the thought. But ' iniquity in the tabernacle' of the body is carnal doing in the fulfilment of the deed. Thus Eliphaz, forasmuch as he was the friend of a blessed person, seeing some things true, and yet in those points in which he departs from the right line, holding the likeness of heretics, not knowing that it was in consequence of good n, qualities blessed Job ires stricken, fancied thai he had erred t— - whom be saw smitten, and makes him promises ii he would retain to Almighty » > »d, - 1\ ing, rii><u slmli put away iniquity far i ri mi ilii/ tn In null Irs. \^ it' In ■ said in plain speech)' Whosoer( i lit' t i rring ways is brought back to God, i^ purified both in thought and in deed together.1 It follows;

\ i. 24. //'■ thaU give the flint jot earthy and for tin flint golden torrente. VNii- ^2. What is denoted by ( earth' but weakness in conduct, what bj tli*- hardness of the flint but strengths what do we understand by ' the golden torrents/ but the instruction <>f interior brightness? Now to tlms.' thai turn themseh Him Almighty God 'gives l<>r earth the flint/ in that for weak conduct He bestows the strength of rigorous practice. lie aKi> gives k for the flint golden torrents,1 in that for rigorous practice He redoubles the instruction of bright preaching, that averted sinner may from weak be enabled to prove and in his strength rise a the uttering forth words of the inner brightn it in that on, both weakne duct, in which like earth he is crumbled, by strength of good living may be firml) settled, and is derived from I from that same firm,;' is i tt Id ma\ ran out, Beeing thai in the mouth of those that live well brightness of teaching runs over. It follow