16. But this we ought especially to regard in his words, viz. with what a skilful turn of reflection he gathers himself His gifts a coii\fort in sorrow. WomaiCs?iature not eml. 141 up to meet the persuading of his wife, saying, If we have Book received good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not receive '— evil? For it is a mighty solace of our tribulation, if, when we suffer afflictions, we recall to remembrance our Maker's gifts to us. Nor does that break down our force, which falls upon us in the smart, if that quickly comes to mind, which lifts us up in the gift. For it is hence written, In the day qfY.cc\\x9, prosperity he not unmindful of affliction, and in the day of^^^ ^' affliction be not unmindful of prosperity. For whosoever receives God's gifts, but in the season of gifts has no fear of strokes, is brought to a fall by joy in his elation of mind. And whoever is bruised with scourges, yet, in the season of the scourges, neglects to take comfort to himself from the gifts, which it has been his lot to receive, is thrown down from the stedfastness of his mind by despair on every hand. Thus then both must be united, that each may always have the other's support, so that both remembrance of the gift may moderate the pain of the stroke, and misgiving and dread of the stroke may bite down the joyousness of the gift. And thus the holy man, to soothe the depression of his mind amidst his wounds, in the pains of the strokes weighs the sweetness of the gifts, saying, If ue have received good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not receive evil? And he does well in saying first, Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish women. For because it is the sense of a bad woman, and not her sex, that is in fault, he never says, * Thou hast spoken like one of the women,' but * of the foolish women,' clearly that it might be shewn, that whatsoever is of ill sense cometh of superadded folly, and not of nature so formed. The account goes on; In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
17. We sin with our lips in two ways; either when we say x. unjust things, or withhold the just. For if it were not some- times a sin also to be silent, the Prophet would never say, JVoe is me, that I held my peace. Blessed Job, then, in all Is. 6, 5. that he did, sinned no wise with his lips; in that he neither ^"'^* spake proudly against the smiter, nor withheld the right answer to the adviser. Neither by speech, therefore, nor by silence did he offend, who both gave thanks to the Father that smote him, and administered wisdom of instruction to 14*2 Satf/fi's last 7'esoiirce Jo b\<ijr tends, tJioiajh good me)}.
the ill-advising wife. For because he knew what he owed to God, what to his neighbour, viz. resignation to his Creator, wisdom to his wife, therefore he both instructed her by his uttering reproof, and magnified Him by giving thanks. But which is there of us, who, if he were to receive any single wound of such severe infliction, would not at once be laid low in the interior? See, that when outwardly prostrated by the wounds of the flesh, he abides inwardly erect in the fences of the mind, and beneath him he sees every dart fly past wherewith the raging enemy transfixes him outwardly with unsparing hand; watchfully he catches the javelins, now cast, in wounds, against him in front, and now, in words, as it were from the side. And our champion encompassed with the rage of the besetting fight, at all points presents his shield of patience, meets the darts coming in on every hand, and on all virtue's sides wheels round the guarded mind to front the assailing blows.
18. But the more valiantly our old enemy is overcome, the more hotly is he provoked to further arts of malice. For whereas the wife when chidden was silent, he forthwith set on others to rise up in insults till they must be chidden "*. For as he essayed to make his blows felt, by the often repeated tidings of the losses of his substance, so he now busies himself to penetrate that firm heart by dealing reiterated strokes with the insults of the lips. It proceeds; Ver. 1 1. Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appoint- ment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him, xi. 19. We have it proved to us how great a love they enter- tained both for each other, and for the smitten man, in that they came by agreement to administer consolation to him when afilicted. Though even by this circumstance, viz. that Scripture bears witness they were the friends of so great a man, it is made appear that they were men of a good spirit and right intention; though this very intention of * Ben. increpandi. Some Mss. ' in- in their chiding should rise even to in- crepando,' which gives the sense, * who suits.'
They make themselves like hun in sympaihij. 14o mind, when they break forth into words, upon indiscretion Book arising, becomes clouded in the sight of the strict Judge. It '— goes on; Ver. 12. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
20. Because the scourge had altered the appearance of xii. the stricken man, his friends * lift up their voice and weep,' * rend their garments,' * sprinkle dust upon their heads;' that seeing him altered to whom they had come, their voluntary grief might likewise alter the very appearance even of the comforters also. For the order in consolation is, that when we would stay one that is afflicted from his grief, we first essay to accord with his soriow by grieving. For he can never comfort the mourner who does not suit himself to his grief, since from the very circumstance that his own feelings are at variance with the mourner's distress, he is rendered the less welcome to him, from whom he is parted by the character of his feelings; the mind therefore must first be softened down, that it may accord with the distressed, and by accord- ing attach itself, and by attaching itself draw him. For iron is not joined to iron, if both be not melted by the burning efl'ect of fire, and a hard substance does not adhere to a soft, unless its hardness be first made soft by tempering, so as in a manner to become the very thing, to which our object is that it should hold. Thus we neither lift up the fallen, if we do not bend from the straightness of our standing posture. For, whereas the uprightness of him that standeth disagreeth with the posture of one lying, he nevet can lift him to whom he cares not to lower himself; and so the friends of blessed Job, that they might stay him under affliction from his grief, were of necessity solicitous to grieve with him, and when they beheld his wounded body, they set themselves to rend their own ganuents, and when they saw him altered, they betook themselves to defiling their heads with dust, that the afflicted man might the more readily give ear to their words, that he recognised in them somewhat of his own in the way of affliction.
21. lUit herein be it known, that lie who desires to comfort 144 Job' s friends even too much grieved for him.
Job 2, the afl9icted, must needs set a measure to the grief, to which ^^•^ he submits, lest he should not only fail of soothing the mourner, but, by the intemperance of his grief, should sink the mind of the afflicted to the heaviness of despair. For our grief ought to be so blended with the grief of the distressed, that by quaUfying it may lighten it, and not by increasing weigh it down. And hence perhaps we ought to gather, that the friends of blessed Job in administering consolation gave themselves up to grief more than was needed, in that while they mark the stroke, but are strangers to the mind of him that was smitten, they betake themselves to unmeasured lamentation, as if the smitten man who was of such high fortitude, under the scourge of his body, had fallen in mind too. It proceeds; Ver. 13. So Ihey mi down with him upon the ground seven days and seven flights, and none spake a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.
xiii. 22. Whether they sat with the afflicted Job for seven days and seven nights together, or possibly for seven days and as many nights kept by him in assiduous and frequent visiting, we cannot teU. For we are often said to be doing any thing for so many days, though we may not be continually busied therein all those days. And often holy Scripture is wont to % put the whole for a part, in like manner as it does a part for i the whole. Thus it speaks of a part for the whole, as where, Gen.46, in describing Jacob's household, it says, All the souls of the ^'' house of Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten. Where indeed, while it makes mention of souls, it clearly takes in the bodies also of the comers. Again it puts in the whole for a part, as where at the tomb Mary John 20 complains, saying, They have taken away my Lord, and I 2- know not where they have laid Him. For it was the Body of the Lord only that she had come to seek, and yet she bewails the Lord as though His whole Person had been » tultum altogether taken away'; and so in this place too it is doubtful whether the whole is put for a part.
23. Yet this circumstance, viz. that they were a long while silent, and yet in speaking after all were condemned, must not be passed over carelessly. For there are some men who both begin to speak with precipitation, and follow Job^s Jrie/ids sinned by dolmj a good work ill, 145 out that unchecked beginning with still less check. While Book there are some who are indeed backward to begin to speak, but having once begun know not how to set limits to their words. Accordingly the fiiends of blessed Job, upon seeing his grief, were for long silent, yet, whilst slow to begin, they spoke with indiscretion, because they would not spare him in his grief. They held their tongue that it might not begin over-hastily, but once begun they never ruled it, that it might not let itself out from imparting consolation so far as to offer insults. And they indeed had come with a good intention to give comfort; yet that which the pious mind offered to God pure, their hasty speech defded. For it is written, J/ thou Gen. 4, offerest righlbj, but dividest not rightly, thou hast sinned. For it is rightly offered, when the thing that is done is done with a right intention. But it is not * rightly divided,' unless that which is done with a pious mind be made out with exact discrimination. For to " divide the offering aright' is to weigh all our good aims, carefully discriminating them; and whoso puts by doing this, even when w^e offer aright, is guilty of sin.
24. And so it often happens, that in what we do with a good aim, by not exercising careful discrimination therein, we know nothing what end it will be judged withaP, and\quoju- sometinies that becomes ground of accusation, which is fine accounted an occasion of virtue. But whoever considers the doings of blessed Job's friends, cannot but see with what a pious intention they came to him. For let us consider, what great love it shewed to have come together by agreement to the stricken man; what a preeminent degree of longsuffering it proved to be with the afflicted, without speaking, seven days and nights; what humility, to sit upon the earth so many days and nights; what compassion, to sprinkle their heads with dust! But yet when they began to speak, by the same means, whereby they reckoned to win the price of a reward, it was their lot to meet with the arraignment of rebuke; for to the unwary even that which is begun for the object of recompense alone, oftentimes turns to an issue in sin. Observe! by hasty speech they lost that good which it cost them so much labour to purchase. And unless the grace of God had bidden them to offer sacrifice for their I 146 Ood judges good works, much more evil ones.
Job 2, guilt, they might have been justl}' punished by the Lord, on the very grounds whereon they reckoned themselves exceed- Hist.
ing well-pleasing to Him. By the same proceeding they displease the Judge, whereby, as if in that Judge's defence, they please themselves through want of self-control. Now it is for this reason that we speak thus, that we may recall to the recollection of our readers, for each one to consider heedfully with himself, with what dread visitations the Lord punishes the actions which are done with an evil design, if those which are begun with a good aim, but mixed with the heedlessness of indiscretion, are chastised with such severe rebuke. For who would not believe that he had secured himself ground of recompense, either if in God's defence he had said aught against his neighbour, or at all events if in sorrow for a neighbour he had kept silence seven days and nights? And yet the friends of blessed Job by doing this were brought into sin for their pains, because while the good aim of comforting which they were about was known to them, yet they did not know with what a balance of discretion it was to be done. Whence it appears that we must not only regard what it is that we do, but also with what discretion we put it in execution. First indeed, that we may never do evil in any manner, and next, that we may not do our good deeds without caution; and it is in fact to perform these good deeds with carefulness, that the Prophet admonishes Jer. 48, us when he says, Cursed be he that doeth the work of the y^i Lord negligently. But let these things stand us in stead to this end, that before the exact and incomprehensible scru- tiny of the Awful Judge shall be, w^e may not only fear for all that we have done amiss, but if there be in us aught of the kind, for the very things that we have done well; for oftentimes that is found out to be sin at His Judgment, which before the Judgment passes for virtue, and from the same source, whence we look for the merciful recompense of our works, there comes upon us the chastisement of righteous vengeance. Alleg. 25. We have run through these particulars thus briefly considered according to the letter of the history, now let us turn our discourse to the mystical sense of the allegory. But as, when, at the beginning of this work, we were Sufferings of the Body typified with those qf the Head. 147 treating of the union betwixt the Head and the Body, we Book TTT premised with earnest emphasis how close the bond of love was between them, forasmuch as both the Lord in fact still suffers many things by His Body, which is all of us, and His Body, i. e. the Church, already glories in its Head, viz. the Lord, in heaven; so now we ought in such sort to set forth the sufferings of that Head, that it may be made appear how much He undergoes in His Body also. For if the torments that we endure did not reach our Head, He would never cry out to His persecutor even from heaven in behalf of His afflicted Members, Haul^ Saul^ why persecutest thou Me '^ Acta 9, If our agony were not His pain, Paul, when afflicted after ^* his conversion, would never have said, I Jill up that which^^^- 1> is behitid q/' the ajfiictions of Christ in my Jiesh. And yet being already elevated by the resurrection of his Head, he says. And hath raised us up together, and made us svVEph. 2, together in heavenly places; in this way, namely, that the ' tonnents of persecution had enchained him on earth, yet while sunk down with the weight of his pains, lo, he was already seated in heaven, through the glory of his Head. Therefore because we know that in all things the Head and the Body are one, we in such wise begin with the smiting of the Head that we may afterwards come to the strokes of the Body. But this, viz. that it is said, " that on a day Satan came to present himself before tlie Lord;" that he is interrogated * whence he comes V that the blessed Job is distinguished by his Creator's high proclaim; forasmuch as we have already made it out more than once, we forbear to explain again. For if the mind is a long time involved in points that have been examined, it is hindered in coming to those which have not been, and so we now put the beginning of the allegory there, where, after often repeated words, we find something new added. So then He says, Ver. 3. Though thou moredst Me agai)ist him, to destroy him without cause.
26. If blessed Job bears the likeness of our Redeemer in xiv. His Passion, how is it that the Lord says to Satan, Thmc ftiovedst Me against him? Truly the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, came to bear the scourges of our mortal nature, that He might put away the l2 148 The Father how ^ movecV agai/tst Christ'' without cause »^ Job 2, sins of our disobedience; but forasmuch as He is of one and ' — the self-same nature with the Father, how does the Father * declare that He was moved by Satan against Him, when it is acknowledged that no inequality of power, no diversity of will, interrupts the harmony between the Father and the Son?
Yet He, that is equal to the Father by the Divine Nature, came for our sakes to be under stripes in a fleshly nature.
Which stripes He would never have undergone, if he had not taken the form of accursed man in the work of their redemption. And unless the first man had transgressed, the I second would never have come to the ignominies of the f Passion. When then the first man was moved by Satan from ' com- the Lord, then the Lord was moved' against the second Man.
motus ^Yi^ so Satan then moved the Lord to the affliction of this latter, when the sin of disobedience brought down the first man from the height of uprightness. For if he had not drawn the first Adam by wilful sin into the death of the soul, '- the second Adam, being without sin, would never have come into the voluntary death of the flesh, and therefore it is with justice said to him of our Redeemer too. Thou movedst Me 2 E. V. against him to afflict- him without cause. As though it were destroy g^j^ '^^ plainer words; ' Whereas this Man dies not on His own account, but on account of that other, thou didst then move Me to the afflicting of This one, when thou didst withdraw that other from Me by thy cunning persuasions.' And of Him it is rightly added, without cause. For ' he was destroyed without cause,"* who was at once weighed to the earth by the avenging of sin, and not defiled by the pollution of sin.
He ^ was destroyed without cause,' Who, being made incarnate, had no sins of His own, and yet being without offence took upon Himself the punishment of the carnal. For it is hence Pa. 69, that speaking by the Prophet He says, Then I restored that *' which I took not away. For that other that was created for Paradise would in his pride have usurped the semblance of the Divine power, yet the Mediator, Who was without guilt, discharged the guilt of that pride. It is hence that a Wise "Wisd. Man saith to the Father; Forasmuch then as Thou art Vulg. righteous Thyself, Thou order est all things righteously; Thou condemnest Him too that deserveth not to be punished, 27. But we must consider how He is righteous and ordereth God Just ill affllcliny Christ. Satan misjudtjed Hitn. J 4!) all things righteously, if He condemns Him that deserveth Book • TTT not to be punished. For our Mediator deserved not to be '— punished for Himself, because He never was guilty of any defilement of sin. But if He had not Himself undertaken a death not due to Him, He would never have freed us from one that was justly due to us. And so whereas * The Father is righteous,' in punishing a righteous man, ' He ordereth all things righteously,' in that by these means He justifies all things, viz. that for the sake of sinners He condemns Him Who is without sin; that all the Elect' might rise up to the height i electa of righteousness, in proportion as He Who is above all°"^°'* underwent the penalties of our unrighteousness. What then is in that place called ' being condemned without deserving,' is here spoken of as being ^ afilicted without cause.' Yet though in respect of Himself He was ' afilicted without cause,' in respect of our deeds it was not ' without cause.' For the rust of sin could not be cleared away, but by the fire of torment. He then came without sin. Who should submit Himself voluntarily to torment, that the chastisements due to our wickedness might justly loose the parties thereto obnoxious, in that they had unjustly kept Him, Who was free of them. Thus it was both without cause, and not without cause, that He was afflicted, Who had indeed no crimes in Himself, but Who cleansed with His blood the stain of our guilt.
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 bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.
28. When the evil spirit sees our Redeemer shine forth by xv. miracles, he cries out, We know Who Thou art, the Holy Luke 4, One of God. And in saying this, he dreads, whilst he owns,^^* the Son of God. Yet being a stranger to the power of heavenly pity, there are seasons when, beholding Him subject to suffering, he supposes Him to be mere man. Now he had learnt that there were many in the pastoral station, cloked under the guise of sanctity, who, being very far removed from the bowels of charity, held for very little other men's ills. And thus as though judging of Him by other men, because after much had been taken from Him, he did 150 Satan how let loose against the Flesh of our Lord, Job 2, not see him subdued, he so flamed against Him even to ■j^ — His very flesh, in applying the touch of suff^ering, as to say, Skin for skin; yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he ivill curse Thee to Thy face. As though he said in plain terms, ' He does not care to be moved by the things that are without Him, but it will then be really known what He is, if He shall experience in Himself what may make Him grieve.' This Satan expressed in his own person not by words, but by wishes, when he desired to have it brought to pass; in his members he brought it on both by words and wishes at once. For it is himself that speaks, when, according to the words of the Prophet, his followers Jer. 11, say. Let its pict the wood in his bread^, and let us raze him l^' out from the land of the living. For ' to put the wood into the bread,' is to apply the trunk of the cross to His body in affixing Him thereto; and they think themselves able to * raze out' His life from the land of the living. Whom vv^hile they perceive Him to be mortal mould, they imagine to be put an end to by death.
Ver. 6. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. xvi. 29. What fool even would believe that the Creator of all things w^as given up into * the hands of Satan?' Yet who that is instructed by the Truth can be ignorant that of that very Satan all they are members who are joined unto him by living frowardly? Thus Pilate shewed himself a member of him, who, even to the extremity of putting Him to death, knew not the Lord when He came for our Redemption. The chief priests proved themselves to be his body, who strove to drive the world's Redeemer from the world, by persecuting Him even to the cross. When then the Lord for our salva- tion gave Himself up to the hands of Satan's members, what else did He, but let loose that Satan's hand to rage against Himself, that by the veiy act whereby He Himself outwardly fell low, He might set us free both outwardly and inwardly. If therefore the hand of Satan is taken for his power, He after the flesh bore the hand of him, whose power over the body He endured even to the spitting, the buffetting, the '' E. V. Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof.
Our Lord permitted as God ivhat He bore as Ma?i. 151 stripes, the cross, the lance; and hence when He cometh to Book His Passion He saith to Pilate, i. e. to the body of Satan, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me except itu, * were given thee from above; and yet this power, which He had given to him against Himself without, He compelled to serve the end of His own interest within. For Pilate, or Satan who was that Pilate's head, was held under the power of that One over Whom he had received power; in that being far above He had Himself ordained that which now con- descending to an inferior condition He was undergoing from the persecutor, that though it ai*ose from the evil mind of unbelievers, yet that very cruelty itself might also serve to the weal of all the Elect, and therefore He pitifully ordained all that within, which He suffered Himself to undergo thus foully without. And it is hence that it is said of Him at the supper, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all thitigs Johni3, into His hands, and that He ivas come from God, and went^' to God: He risethfrom supper, and laid aside His garments. Behold how, when He was about to come into the hands of those that persecuted Him, He knew that those very perse- cutors even had been given into His own hand. For He, Who knew that He had received all things, plainly held those very persons by whom He was held, that He should Himself