92. But the Mediator of God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, in all things hath Him both always and continually present. For the same Spirit even in Substance proceeds from Him. And thus, though He abides in the holy Preachers, He is justly said to abide in the Mediator in a num External gifts may be withdrawn to aid huynility* 129 special manner, for that in them He abides of grace for a Boo particular object, but in Him He abides substantially for all '■ ends. For as our body is cognizant of the sense of touch only, but the head of the body has the use of all the five senses at once, so that it sees, hears, tastes, smells, and touches; so the members of the Supreme Head shine forth in some of the powers, but the Head Itself blazes forth in all of them. The Spirit then abides in Him in another sort, from Whom He never departs by reason of His Nature. Now those of His gifts, by which life is attained, can never without danger be lost, but the gifts, whereby holiness of life is made evident, are very often withdrawn, as we have said, without detriment. So then the first are to be kept for our own edification, the latter to be sought for the improve- ment of others. In the case of the one let the fear alann us, lest they perish, but in the other, when they are with- drawn for a season, let humility be our consolation, for that they may chance to lift up the mind to entertain pride. Accordingly when the power of miracles which had been vouchsafed is withdrawn, let us exclaim as is right, Tlie Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Xame of the Lard. For then, and only then, we really shew that we have held in a right spirit all that we had given us, when we bear with patience the momentary withdrawal thereof BOOK III.
The vrliole of the second chapter of the Book of Job is explained after the manner of the former Books, historically, allegorically, and morally.
i. 1. Blessed Job, though aimed at for death in his tempta- ^^®^* tion, gained growth unto life by the stroke. And our old enemy grieved to find that he had only multiplied his excellences by the very means, by which he had thought to do away with them, but whereas he sees that he has been worsted in the first struggle, he prepares himself for fix'sh assaults of temptations, and still has the boldness to augur evil of that holy man; for one that is evil can never believe goodness to exist, though proved by his experience. Now those circumstances, which were premised in the first in- fliction, are again subjoined, when it is said, Ver. 1, 2, 3. Again there was a day when the sotis of God came to present themselves before the Lord^ and Sata?i came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord, said unto Satan, Whence comest thou f And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from, walking up and down in it. And the Ljord said unto Satan, ILast thou considered My servaiit Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Because we have discussed these particulars very fully above, w^e the rather pass them over in silence, lest, whilst we often repeat points once gone into, we delay too long in coming to such as are untouched; although w^hat is said to Satan by the Lord's voice, Whence comest thou? I cannot consider to be addressed to him just as it was before; for whereas he returns defeated from that contest upon which he had been let loose, and yet is asked ^ whence he comes,* Job smitten tmthout cause, yet with cause. 131 when it is kno^NTi from whence he comes, what else is this Book but that the impoteucy of his pride is chidden? As though — the voice of God openly said, ' See, thou art overcome by a single man, and him too beset with the infirmities of the flesh; thou, that strivest to set thyself up against Me, the Maker of all things!' Hence when the Lord immediately went on to declare the excellences of Job, as He did before, it is together with the triumphs of his victory that He enu- merates this, and adds, And still he holdeth fast his integrity, 2. As if He said explicitly, ' Thou indeed hast wrought ii. thy malice, but he has not lost his innocence; and thou art forced to serve to his advancement by the very means whence thou thoughtest to lessen his advancement. For that in- ward innocency, which he lionourably maintained when at rest, he has more honourably preserved under the rod. It follows; Although thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause.
3. TMiereas God is a just and a true God, it is important iii. to enquire how and in what sense He shews that He had afilicted Job without cause. For because He is just, He could not afflict him without cause, and again, because He is tnie. He could not have spoken other than what He did. So then that both particulars may concur in Him that is just and true, so that He should both speak truth, and not act unjustly, let us know, that blessed Job was both in one sense smitten without cause, and again in another sense, that he was smitten not without cause. For as He that is just and true, says the thing of Himself, let us prove both that what He said was true, and that what He did was righteous. For it was necessary that the holy man, who was known to God alone and to his own conscience, should make known to all as a pattern for their imitation with what preeminent virtue he was enriched. For he could not visibly give to otliers examples of virtue, if he remained himself without tempta- tion. Accordingly it was brought to pass, both that the very force of the infliction should exhibit his stores of virtue for the imitation of all men, and that the strokes inflicted upon him should bring to light what in time of tranquillity \ \ 132 God not so moved as to change in Himself.
Job 2, lay hidden. Now by means of the same blows the virtue of ■TT patience gained increase, and the gloriousness of his reward was augmented by the pains of the scourge. Thus, that we may uphold the truth of God in word, and His equity in deed, the blessed Job is at one and the same time not afflicted without cause, seeing that his merits are increased, and yet he is afflicted without cause, in that he is not punished for any offence committed by him. For that man is stricken without cause, who has no fault to be cut away; and he is not stricken without cause, the merit of whose virtue is made to accumulate.
4. But what is meant when it is said. Thou movedst Me against him? Is ' the Truth' then inflamed by the words of Satan, so that at his instigation He falls to torturing His servants? Who could imagine those things of God which he even accounts unw^orthy of a good man } But because we ourselves never strike unless when moved, the stroke of God itself is called the ' moving' Him. And the voice of God condescends to our speech, that His doings may in one way or another be reached by man's understanding. For that Power which without compulsion created aU things, and which without oversight rules all things, and without labour sustains all, and governs without being busied, corrects also without emotion. And by stripes He forms the minds of men to whatsoever He will, in such sort still that He never passeth into the darkness of change from the light of His Unchangeable Being. It follows; Ver. 4, 5. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch his hone and his jiesh, and he will curse Tliee to Thy face, iv. 5. The old enemy derives from outward things the charge which he urges against the blessed man's soul. For he affirms that ' skin is given for skin;' as it often happens that when we see a blow directed against the face, we put our hands before our eyelids to guard the eyes from the stroke, and we present our bodies to be wounded, lest they be wounded in a tenderer part. Satan then, who knew that such things arc customarily done, exclaims, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give in exchange for his life.
Joh^ in Satan's hand, still in the Hand qf God. 133 As if he said in plain words, ' tt is for this reason that Job Book bears with comj30sure so many strokes falling without, be-. cause he fears lest he should be smitten himself, and so it is care of the flesh that makes him unmoved by hurt done to the feelings of the flesh; for while he fears for his own person, he feels the less the hurt of what belongs to him.
And hence he immediately requires his flesh to be smitten, in these words; But put forth Thine hand now, and touch his hone and hisJiesJi, and he will curse Thee to TJiy face.
He had said above. Touch all that he hath, and he will jo\yi curse Thee to Thy face. Now, as if forgetting his former ^^• proposal, being beaten upon one point, he demands another. And this is justly allowed him by God's dispensation, that the audacious disputer, by being over and over again over- come, may be made to keep silence. It proceeds; Ver. 6. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his li/'e.
6. Here again, the safeguard of protection goes along vri\h y the permission to smite, and the dispensation of God both while guarding, forsakes his elect servant, and while for- saking, guards him. A portion of him He gives over, a portion He protects. For if he had left Job wholly in the hand of so dire a foe, what could have become of a mere man? And so with the very justice of the permission there is mixed a certain measure of pity, that in one and the same contest, both His lowly sen^ant might rise by oppression, and the towering enemy be brought down by the permission. Thus the holy man is given over to the adversary's hand, but yet in his inmost soul he is held fast by the hand of his Helper. For he was of the number of those sheep, concern- ing whom Truth itself said in the Gospel, Neither shall any / man pluck them out of My hand. And yet it is said to the 28. enemy, when he demands him. Behold, he is in thine hand. The same man then is at the same time in the hand of God, and in the hand of the devil. For by saying, he is in thine hand, and straightway adding, but save his life, the pitiful Helper openly shewed that His hand was upon him whom He yielded up, and that in giving He did not give him.
134 Satan forced to save life. Strokes many and sore.
Job 2, whom, while He cast him forth, He at the same time hid from the darts of his adversary.
\ ani- 7. But how is that it is said to Satan, hut save his life'^?
mam For how does he keep safe, who is ever longing to break in upon things under safe keeping? But Satan's saving is spoken of his not daring to break in, just as, conversely, we Matt. 6, petition The Father in prayer, saying, Lead us not into temptation; for neither does The Lord lead us into temptation, Who is ever mercifully shielding His servants therefrom. Yet it is as it were for Him ' to lead us into temptation,' not to protect us from the allurements of tempt- ation. And He then as it were * leads us not into the snare of temptation,' when He does not let us be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. In like manner then as God is said to ' lead us into temptation,' if He suffers our adversary to lead 2 ani- ug thereinto, so our adversary is said to ' save our souP,' above, when he is stayed irom overcommg it by his temptations.
Ver. 7. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. How ' Satan goes forth from the presence of the Lord,' 3 some is shewn by the remarks which have been already ^ made Mss.add, f.
i often.' above. It goes on; A?id smote Job with sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown. vi- 8. Strokes are to be estimated in two ways, viz. to consider either of what kind, or how great. For being many they are often made right by their quality, and being heavy by their quantity, i. e. when, if they be many, they be not heavy, and if they be heavy, they be not many; in order to shew, then, how by the sharpness of the stroke the adversary flamed against the holy man, not only in the badness of the kind, but also in the heaviness of the amount: to prove the quality, it is said. And sniote Job with sore boils; and to teach the quantity, from the sole of his foot unto his crown* Plainly, that nothing might be void of glory in his soul, in whose body there is no part void of pain. It goes on; Ver. 8. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. vii- 9. What is a potsherd made from, excepting mud? and what is the humour of the body, but mud.'' Accordingly he Job humbles hiiftself by the dutighill and potsJierd. 135 is said ' to scrape the humour with a potsherd,' as if it were Book plainly said, ' he wiped away mud with mud.' For the holy man reflected, whence that which he earned about him had been taken, and with the broken piece of a vessel of clay he scraped his broken vessel of clay. By which act we have it openly shewn us, in what manner he subdued under him that body of his when sound, which even when stricken he tended with such slight regard; how softly he dealt with his flesh in its sound state, who applied neither clothing, nor fingers, but only a potsherd to its very wounds. And thus he scraped the humour with a potsherd, that seeing himself in the very broken piece, he might even by the cleansing of the wound be taking a remedy for his soul.
10. But because it often happens that the mind is swelled by the circumstances that suiTound the body, and by the way men behave toward us the frailty of the body is removed from before the eyes of the mind, (as there are some of those that are of the world, who while they are buoyed up with temporal honours, whilst they rule in elevated stations, whilst they see the obedience of multitudes yielded to them at will, neglect to consider their own frailt}', and altogether forget, nor ever take heed, how speedily that vessel of clay which they bear, is liable to be shattered,) so blessed Job, that he might take thought of his own frailty from the •things about him, and increase the intensity of his self-contempt in his own eyes, is described to have seated himself not any where on the earth, which at most in every place is found clean, but upon a dunghill. He set his body on a dunijhUl^ that the mind might to its great profit consider tiioroughly what was that substance of the flesh, which was taken from the Gea. 3, go ground. He set his body on a dunghill, that even from the * stench of the place he might apprehend how rapidly the body retunicth to stench.
11. But see, while blessed Job is undergoing such losses in his substance, and giieving over the death of so many children whereby he is smitten, while he is suffering such numberless wounds, while he scraj)es the running humour with a potsherd, whilst, running down in a state of corruption, he sat himself upon a dunghill, it is good to consider how it is that Almighty God, as though in unconcern, afllicts so 136 If Saints suffer thus, how shall the ungodly?
Job 2, grievously those, whom He looks upon as so dear to Him for —^' all eternity. But, now, while I view the wounds and the torments of blessed Job, I suddenly call back my mind's eye to John, and I reflect not without the greatest astonish- ment, that he, being filled with the spirit of prophecy within his mother's womb, and who, if 1 may say so, before Johns, ijig birtli, was born again, he that was the friend of the Matt. Bridegroom^ he than whom none hath arisen greater among ^^^ ^^' those born of women, he that was so great a Prophet, that he was even more than a Prophet, he is cast into prison by wicked men, and beheaded, for the dancing of a damsel, and a man of such severe virtue dies for the merriment of the vile! Do w^e imagine there was aught in his life which that most contemptible death was to wipe off? When, then, did he sin even in meat, whose food was but locusts and wild honey? How did he offend even by the quality of his clothing, the covering of whose body was of camel's hair.'' How could he transgress in his behaviour, who never went out from the desert? How did the guilt of a talkative tongue defile him, who was parted far from mankind? When did even a fault of silence attach to him, who so vehemently Matt. 3, charged those that came to him? O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to comef How is it then, that Job is distinguished above other men by the testimony of God, and yet by his plagues is brought down even to a dunghill? How is it that John is commended by the voice of God, and yet for the words of a drunkard suffers death as the prize of dancing? How is it, that ^ Almighty God so utterly disregards in this present state of being those whom He chose so exaltedly before the worlds, saving this, which is plain to the religious sense of the faith- ful, that it is for this reason He thus presses them below, because He sees how to recompense them on high? And He casts them down without to the level of things con- temptible, because He leads them on within to the height of things incomprehensible. From hence then let every one collect what those will have to suffer There, that arc con- dgumed by Him, il here He thus torments those whom He loves, or how they shall be smitten, who are destined to be convicted at the Judgment, if their life is sunk so low, who Sataji useth to tempt hy tcom a n\s persuasion. 137 are commended bv witness of the Judge Himself. It pro- Book ceeds; Ver. 9. TJien said his wife unto him. Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
12. The old adversary is wont to tempt mankind in two viii. ways; viz. so as either to break the hearts of the stedfast by tribulation, or to melt them by persuasion. Against blessed Job then he strenuously exerted himself in both; for first upon the householder he brought loss of substance; the father he bereaved by the death of his children; the man that was in health he smote with putrid sores. But forasmuch as him, that was outwardly corrupt, he saw still to hold on sound within, and because he grudged him, whom he had stripped naked outwardly, to be inwardly enriched by the setting forth of his Maker's praise, in his cunning he reflects and considers, that the champion of God is only raised up against him by the very means whereby he is pressed down, and being defeated he betakes himself to subtle appliances of temptations. For he has recourse again to his arts of ancient contrivance, and because he knows by what means Adam is prone to be deceived, he has recourse to Eve. For be saw that blessed Job amidst the repeated loss of his goods, the countless wounds of his strokes, stood un- conquered, as it were, in a kind of fortress of virtues. For he had set his mind on high, and therefore the machinations of the enemy were unable to force an en- trance on it. The adversary then seeks by what steps he may mount up to this well-fenced fortress. Now the woman is close to the man and joined to him. Therefore he fixed his hold on the heart of the woman, and as it were found in it a ladder whereby he might be able to mount up to the heart of the man. He seized the mind of the wife, which was the ladder to the husband. But he could do nothing by this artifice. For the holy man minded that the woman was set under and not over him, and by speaking aright, he instructed her, whom the serpent set on to speak wrongly. For it was meet that manly reproof should hold in that looser mind; since indeed he knew even by the first fall of man, that the woman was unskilled to teach aright. And hence it is well said by Paul, / permit not a iTim.2, 1?
i38 Joh teavheth Iter by ivhotn Saian tvotdd mislead.
Job 2, woman to teach. Doubtless for that, when she once taught, she cast us off from an eternity of wisdom. And so the old Hist. iperdi- enemy was beaten by' Adam on a dunghill, he that condit ab qQei'gci Adam in Paradise; and whereas he inflamed the wife, whom he took to his aid, to utter words of mispersuasion, he sent her to the school of holy instruction; and she that had been set on that she might destroy, was instructed that she should not ruin herself Yes, the enemy is so stricken by those resolute men of our part, that his very own weapons are seized out of his hand. For by the same means, whereby he reckons to increase the pain of the wound, he is helping them to arms of virtue to use against himself.
13. Now from the w^ords of his wife, thus persuading him amiss, we ought to mark with attention, that the old enemy goes about to bend the upright state of our mind, not only by means of himself, but by means of those that are attached to us. For when he cannot undermine our heart by his own persuading, then indeed he creeps to the thing by the tongues of those that belong to us. For hence it is written; Ecclus. Beware of thine own childre?i,and take heed to thy self frovfi Vulff ^^^y s^f'^f^^^^^' Hence it is said by the Prophet; Take ye Jer.9,4. Ji(.ed every one of his neiyhbour, and trust ye not in any Matt, brother. Hence it is again written; And a mail's foes shall 10, 36. j^ ^^^^y ^j' j^^g ^^^^^ household. For when the crafty adver- sary sees himself driven back from the hearts of the good, he seeks out those that they very much love, and he speaks sweetly to them by the words of such as are beloved by them above others, that whilst the force of love penetrates the heart, the sword of his persuading may easily force a way in to the defences of inward uprightness. Thus after the losses of his goods, after the death of his children, after the wounding and rending of his limbs, the old foe put in motion the tongue of his wife.
14. And observe the time when he aimed to corrupt the mind of the man with poisoned talk. For it was after the wounds that the words were brought in by him; doubtless that, as the force of the pain waxed greater, the fro ward dictates of his persuasions might easily prevail. But if we minutely consider the order itself of his temptation, we see with what craft he worketh his cruelty. For he first directed Earthen vessel broken, Treasure within safe. 139 against him the losses of his goods, which should be at oncCj Book as they were, out of the province of nature, and without the — body. He withdrew from him his children, a tiling now no longer indeed without the province of nature, but still in some degree beyond his own body. Lastly, he smote even his body. But because, by these wounds of the flesh, he could not attain to wound the soul, he sought out the tongue of the woman that was joined to him. For because it sorely grieved him to be overcome in open fight, he flung a javelin from the mouth of the wife, as if from a place of ambush: as she said, Dost thou still retain thine inte(/ritf/? Bless God and die. Mark how in trying him, he took away every thing, and again in trying him, left him his wife, and shewed craftiness in stripping him of every thing, but in- finitely greater cunning, in keeping the woman as his abettor, to say, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Eve repeats her own words. For what is it to say, * give over thine integrity,' but * disregard obedience by eating the forbidden thing?' And what is it to say. Bless ^ God and die, but ' live ' see p. by mounting above the commandment, above what thou wast created to be V But our Adam lay low upon a dunghill in strength, who once stood up in Paradise in weakness. For thereupon he replied to the words of his evil counsellor, saying, Ver. 10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. IVtiat? shall ice receive good at the hand of God, and shall ice not receive evil / 15. See the enemy is every where broken, every where ix. overcome, in all his a])pliances of temptation he has been brought to the ground, in that he has even lost that ac- customed consolation which he derived from the woman. Amid these circumstances it is good to contemplate the holy man, without, void of goods, witliin, filled with God. When Paul viewed in himself the riches of internal wisdom, yet saw himself outwardly a corruptible body, he says, /f'(e2Cor. hare this treasure in earthen ressels. You see, the eartlien ' vessel in blessed Job felt those gaping sores without, but this treasure remained entire within. For without he cracked in his wounds, but the treasure of Avisdom unfailingly spring- ing up within issued forth in words of holy instruction.
J 140 In what sense God sends us Evil.
Job 2, saying, If we have received good at the hand of the Lord, -r^ — shall we not receive evil? meaning by the good, either the temporal or the eternal gifts of God, and by the evil, denoting the strokes of the present time, of which the Lord saith by Is. 45, ^}jQ Prophet, / am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. Not that evil, which does not subsist by its own nature, is created by the Lord, but the Lord shews Himself as creating evil, when He turns into a scourge the things that have been created good for us, upon our doing evil, that the very same things should at the same time both by the pain which they inflict be to transgressors evil, and yet good by the nature whereby they have their being. And hence poison is to man indeed death, but life to the serpent. For we by the love of things present have been led away from the love of our Creator; and whereas the froward mind submitted itself to fondness for the creature, it parted from the Creator's communion, and so it was to be smitten by its Maker by means of the things which it had erringly preferred to its Maker, that by the same means whereby man in his pride was not afraid to commit sin, he might find a punishment to his correction, and might the sooner recover himself to all that he had lost, the more he perceived that the things which he aimed at were full of pain. And hence it is rightly said, I form the light, and create darkness. For when the darkness of pain is created by strokes without, the light of the mind is kindled by instruction within. I make peace, and create evil. For peace with God is restored to us then, when the things which, though rightly created, are not rightly coveted, are turned into such sort of scourges as are evil to us. For we are become at variance with God by sin. Therefore it is meet that we should be brought back to peace with Him by the scourge, that whereas every being created good turns to pain for us, the mind of the chastened man may be renewed in a humbled state to peace with the Creator. These scourges, then, blessed Job names evil, because he considers with what violence they smite the good estate of health and tranquillity.