inflict on Himself, for the purposes of mercy, whatsoever their permitted wickedness should cruelly devise against Him. Let it then be said to him, Behold, he is in thine hand, in that when ravening thereafter he received penuission to smite His flesh, yet unwittingly he rendered service to the Power of that Being.
30. Now he is ordered to * save the life of the soul",' not that he is forbidden to tempt it, but that he is convicted of being unable to overcome it. For never, as we that are mere men are oftentimes shaken by the assault of temptation, was the soul of your Redeemer disordered by its urgency. For though our enemy, being pennilted, took Him up into an high mountain, though he promised that he would give Him the kingdoms of the earth, and though he shewed Him • The word is * anima,' which sig- tained in us: * the life of the soul' may nifiea the soul a^i well as that union serve to include both those senses. with the body, by which life is main- 152 Satan forced to spare Christ'' s Elect, as JoVs life.
Job 2, stones as to be turned into bread, yet he had no power to 7.
Alleg 7 shake by temptation the mind of the Mediator betwixt God and man. For He so condescended to take all this upon Himself externally, that His mind, being still inwardly established in His Divine Nature, should remain unshaken. John 11, And if He is at any time said to be troubled and to have 38' groaned i?i the spirit^ He did Himself in His Divine nature ordain how much He should in His Human nature be troubled, unchangeably ruling over all things, yet shewing Himself subject to change in the satisfying of human frailty; and thus remaining at rest in Himself, He ordained what- soever He did even with a troubled spirit for the setting forth of that human nature which He had taken upon Himself.
31. But as, when we love aright, there is nothing among created things that we love better than the life of our soul, and like as we say that we love those as our soul toward whom we strive to express the weight of our love, it may be 1 per that by the life of His SouP, is represented the life^ of the aniraam Elect. And while Satan is let loose to smite the Redeemer's « vita flesh, he is debarred the soul, forasmuch as at the same time that he obtains His Body to inflict upon it the Passion, he loses the Elect from the claims of his power. And while That One's flesh suffers death by the Cross, the mind of these is stablished against assaults. Let it then be said. Behold, he is in thine hand; hut sat^ his life. As if he had heard in plain words, * Take permission against His Body, and lose thy right of wicked dominion over His Elect, whom foreknovdng in Himself before the w^orld began He hcldeth for His own.'
Ver. 7. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Joh ivith sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown. xvii..32. No one entereth into this life of the Elect, that has not undergone the contradictions of this enemy. And they all have proved themselves the members of our Redeemer, who, from the first beginning of the w-orld, whilst living righteously, have suffered wrongs. Did not Abel prove himself His member, who not only in propitiating God by his sacrifice, but also by dying without a word, was a figure Christ cleanses away sin by Fleshy as with Job's potsherd. 153 of Him, of whom it is written, He is brought as a lamb to Book the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, -Ull^ so He openeth not His mouth. Thus from tlie very begin- 7/ ' ning of the world he strove to vanquish the Body of our Redeemer; and thus He inflicted wounds ' from the sole of the foot to His crown,' in that beginning with mere ^ men, he came to the very Head of the Church in his raging efforts. And it is well said; Ver. 8. And he took him a potsherd to scrape the humour tcithal.
33. For what is the potsherd in the hand of the Lord, but xviii. the flesli which He took of the clay of our nature? For the potsherd receives firmness by fire. And the Flesh of our Lord was rendered stronger by His Passion, in so far as dying by infirmity, He arose from death void of infirmity. And hence too it is ri^^htly delivered by the Prophet, My Ps. 22, strength is dried up like a potsherd. For His ' strength ^^' was dried up like a potsherd,' Who strengthened the in- firmity of the flesh which He took upon Him by the fire of His Passion. But what is to be understood b}^ humour ^ ^ saniem saving sin? For it is the custom to denote the sins of the flesh by flesh and blood. And hence it is said by the Psalmist, Deliver me from blood. Humour then is theps. 51, corruption of the blood. And so what do we understand by ^^' humour but the sins of the flesh, rendered worse by length of time } Thus the wound turns to humour when sin, being neglected % is aggravated by habit. And so the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, in giving up His Body into the hands of those that persecuted Him, scraped the humour with a potsherd, forasmuch as He put away sin by the flesh; for He came, as it is \^Titten, in theK.nm.8y likeness of sinful Jlexh^ that He might condemn sin of sin.^^ ^^' And whilst He presented the purity of His own Flesh to the enemy, He cleansed away the defilements of ours. And by means of that flesh whereby the enemy held us captive, He made atonement for us whom He set free. For that which <• ' Puris,' which St. Gr. u'^es iu this • The Translator suggests neglecta nense. Some Mks. read ' Primis,' *■ the for neglect&, which seems better, first men.'
154 Christ rents on the dunghill by coming to the Penitent.
Job 3, was made an instrument of sin by us, was by our Mediator - — '- — converted for us into the instrument^ of righteousness. And so ' the humour is scraped with a potsherd/ when sin is overcome by the flesh. It is rightly subjoined; And he sat down upon a dunghill.
xix. 34. Not in the court in which the law resounds, not in the building which lifts its top on high, but on a dunghill he takes his seat, which is because the Redeemer of man on 1 Cor. coming to take the flesh, as Paul testifies, hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mightg. Does not He, as it were, sit down upon a dunghill, the buildings being ruined. Who, the Jews in their pride being left desolate, rests in that Gentile world, which He had for so long time rejected? He is found outside the dwelling all in His sores, Who herein, that He bore with Judaea, which set itself against Him, suffered the pain of His Passion amid the scorn of John I, His own people; as John bears witness, who says, He came unto His own, but His own received Him not. And how He rests Himself upon a dunghill, let this same Truth say Luke for Himself; for He declares. Likewise I say unto you, and Vo ^^*^^^ ^'^ j^y ^^ ^^^^ presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. See, He sits upon a dunghill in grief. Who, after sins have been committed, is willing to take possession of penitent hearts. Are not the hearts of penitent sinners like a kind of dunghill, in that while they review their misdoings with bewailing, they are, as it were, heaping dung before their eyes in abusing them- selves? So when Job was smitten he did not seek a moun- tain, but sat down upon a dunghill, in that when our Redeemer came to His Passion, He left the high minds of the proud, and rested in the lowliness of the heavy laden. And this, while yet before His Incarnation, He indicated, Is. 66,2. when He said by the Prophet, But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.
35. But who can think what numberless outrages He underwent at the hands of men, Who shewed to men such ^ anna J Gr. either anus or instruments.
Job'a Wife a type of the Carnal in the Church, 155 unnumbered mercies? Who can think how ereat those are Book III which He even yet undergoes, yea now that He reigns from - above over the hearts of the faithful? For it is He that endures daily all wherein His Elect are racked and rent by the hands of the reprobate. And though the Head of this Body, which same are we, already lifts itself free above all things, yet He still feels in His Body, which He keeps here below, the wounds dealt it by reprobate sinners. But why do we speak thus of unbelievers, when within the very Church itself we see multitudes of carnal men, who fight against the life of our Redeemer by their wicked ways. For there are some, who set upon Him with evil deeds, because they cannot with swords, forasmuch as when they see that what they go after is lacking to them in the Church, they become enemies to the just, and not only settle themselves into wicked practices, but are also busy to bend the uprightness of good men to a crooked "course. For they neglect to lift their eyes to the things of eternity, and in littleness of mind they yield themselves up to the lust of temporal things, and they fall the deeper from eternal blessings, in proportion as they look upon temporal blessings as the only ones. The simplicity of the righteous is displeasing to these, and when they find opportunity for disturbing them, ihey press them to lay hold of their own duplicity. Hence also this is in just accordance, which is added, Ver. 9. Tlien said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.
36. For of what did that mispersuading woman bear the xx. likeness, but of all the carnal that are settled in the bosom of Holy Church, who in proportion as by the words of the Faith they profess they are within the pale, press harder on all the good by their ill-regulated conduct. For they would per- chance have done less mischief, if Holy Church had not admitted in and welcomed to the bed of faith those, whom, by receiving in a profession of faith, she doubtless puts it almost out of her power to eschew. It is hence that in the press of the crowd one woman touched our Redeemer, where- upon tlie same our Redeemer at once saith. Mho touched Me? And when the disciples answered Him, The multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Ji'ho touched 1 56 The carnalpressy but touch nol Christ* Motivesfor ill advice.
Job 2, Me? He therefore subjoined, Somebody hath touched Me, - — '■ — /or I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.
37. Thus many press the Lord, but one alone touches Him; in that all carnal men in the Church press Him, from Whom they are far removed, while they alone touch Him, who are really united to Him in humility. Therefore the crowd presses Him, in that the multitude of the carnally minded, as it is within the pale, so is it the more hardly borne with. It ' presses,' but it does not ' touch,' in that it is at once troublesome by its presence, and absent by its way of life. For sometimes they pursue us with bad dis- course, and sometimes with evil practices alone, for so at one time they persuade to what they practise, and at another, though they use no persuasions, yet they cease not to afford examples of wickedness. They, then, that entice us to do evil either by word or by example, are surely our persecutors, to whom we owe the conflicts of temptation, which we have to conquer at least in the heart.
38. But we should know that carnal men in the Church set themselves to prompt wickedness at one time from a principle of fear, and at another of audacity, and when they themselves go wrong either from littleness of mind or pride of heart, they study to infuse these qualities, as if out of love, into the hearts of the righteous. So Peter, before the Death and Resurrection of our Lord, retained a carnal mind. It was with a carnal mind that the son of Zeruiah held to his leader David, whom he was joined to. Yet the one was led into sin by fear, the other by pride. For the first, when Matt, he heard of his Master's Death, said. Be it far from Thee, ' ' Lord; this shall not he unto Thee. But the latter, not en- 2 Sam. during the wrongs offered to his leader, says. Shall not ' * Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's Matt, anointed '^ But to the first it is immediately replied. Get ' ' thee behind Me, Satan. And the other with his brother 2 Sam. immediately heard the words; What have I to do with you, ' ' ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye are this day turned into a 'So Satan^ unto me? So that evil prompters are taken for E. V. apostate angels in express designation, who, as if in lore, Adver- j^.^^^, ^^^^^^^ ^^ unlawful deeds by their enticing words. But they are much the worse, who give into this sin not from The Elect resist foes by patience^ sustain friends by counsel. 1 57 fear but I'lom pride, of whom the wife of blessed Job bore ''^'<^k the figure in a special uiaiiner, in that she sought to prompt high thoughts to her husband, saying. Dost thou still retain thine i)ite(jrHy? Curse Cod, ana die. She blames the simplicity in her husband, that in contempt of all things transitory, with a pure heart, he longs after the eternal only. As though she said, ' Why dost thou in thy simplicity seek after the things of eternity, and in resignation groan under the weight of present ills? Transgress ', and contemn > Exce- eternity, and even by dying escape from present woes.' But when any of the Elect encounter evil within coming from carnal men, what a modeP of uprightness they exhibit- foi- in themselves, let us learn from the words of him, wounded" and yet whole, seated yet erect, who says, Ver. 10. 77/0// speakest as one of the foolish icomen spcaketh. What? shall we receive yood at the hand qf the Lord, and shall ue not receive evil?
39. Holy men, when fastened upon by the war of afflic- xxi. tions, when at one and the same moment they are exposed to this party dealing them blows and to that urging per- suasions, present to the one sort the shield of patience, at the other they launch the darts of instruction, and lift them- selves up to either mode of warfare with a wonderful skill in virtue, so that they should at the same time both instruct with wisdom the froward counsels within, and contemn with courage the adverse events without; that by their instructions they may amend the one sort, and by their endurance put down the other. For the assailing foes they contemn by bearing them, and the crippled citizens they recover to a state of soundness, by sympathizing with them. Those they resist, that they may not draw off others also; they alann themselves for these, lest they should wholly lose tlie life of righteousness.
40. Let us view the soldier of God's camp fighting against either sort. He says. Without were Jiyhtinys, within were 2 Cot.
fears. He reckons up the wars, which he under\\'ent ex- "» ^* ternally, in these words, In perils of waters^ in perils of 2 Cor. robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by ///e^''^*' heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils amonj false brethren. Now in this war, what were those darts which he sent against 158 St. Paul, himself' suffering, careful for others. Job 2, the foe, let him add, In weariness and paitifulness, in watch- . ' — ings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold ib. 27. and nakedness. And let him say, when caught amidst such numerous assaults, with what a watchful defence he at the same time guarded the camp too. For he forthwith proib. 28. ceeds, Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. See how bravely he takes upon himself those fights, how merci- fully he spends himself in defending his neighbours. He describes the ills which he suffers, he subjoins the good that he imparts. So let us consider how toilsome it must be, at one and the same time to undergo troubles without, and to defend the weak within. Without, fightings are his lot, in that he is torn with stripes and bound with chains; within he suffers alarm, in that he dreads lest his sufferings do a mischief, not to himself but to his disciples. And hence 1 Thess. he writes to those same disciples, saying. That no man should ' * be moved by these ajfiictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For in suffering himself he feared for the fate of others, lest while the disciples perceive him to be afflicted for the faith with stripes, they be back- ward to confess themselves to be of the faithful. Oh! bowels of boundless love! All that he suffers himself, he dis- regards, and is concerned lest the disciples should suffer ought of evil prompting within the heart. He slights the wounds of the body in himself, and heals the wounds of the soul in others. For the righteous have this proper to them- selves, that in the midst of the pain of their own woe, they never give over the care of others' weal, and when in suffisring afflictions they grieve for themselves, still by giving needful instruction they provide for others, and are like some great physicians, that being smitten are brought into a state of sickness. They themselves suffer from the lacerations of the wound, yet they proffer the salves of saving health to others. But it is very far less toilsome, either to instruct when you are not suffering, or to suffer when you are not giving in- struction. Hence holy men skilfully apply their energies to both objects, and when they chance to be stricken with afflictions, they so meet the wars from without, that they take anxious thought that their neighbour's interior be not rent and torn. Thus holy men stand up courageously in the line, Holy Church, looking above, reviles not when wronged. 15Ji and on the one band bmite with the iaveUn the breasts Book . III.
advanced against them, and on the other cover with the shield their feeble comrades in the rear. And thns with a rapid glance they look out on either side, that they may at the same time pierce their daring foes in front, and shield from wounds their trembling friends behind. Therefore, because holy men then are skilled so to meet adversities without, that they are at the same time able to correct fro- ward counsels within, it may be well said. Thou speakest as one of (lie foolish women speakelh. For as it is said to the Elect, Act like men, and He shall comfort your heart; so Pg. 31, the minds of caraal men, which serve God with a yielding Vuig. purpose, are not undeservedly called ' women.'
4 1. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil f As though he said, * If we are bent upon eternal blessings, what wonder if we meet with temporal evils?' Now these blessings Paul had his eye fixed on with earnest interest, when he submitted with a com- posed mind to the ills that fell upon him, saying. For /Rom. 8, reckon that the sufferings of this present time are )wt worthy ^^' to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
In all this did not Job sin icith his lips. When holy men undergo persecution both within and without, tliey not only never transgress in injurious expressions against God, but they never launch words of reviling against their very adversaries themselves; which Peter, the leader of the good, rightly warns us of when he says, But let tiane of you ^ Pet. 4, suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an^ evil speaker. \ g^ For the evil speaker's way of suffering is, in the season of his ^"^g* suffering, to break loose in abuse at least of his persecutor. But forasmuch as the Body of our Redeemer, viz. Holy Church, so bears the burthen of her sorrows, that she never transgresses the bounds of humility by words, it is rightly said of this sorrower; In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Ver. 11. Now when Job's three friends heard of all this ev^il that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Elijjhaz the Temanite^ and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naainathite.
42. In the Preface to this work we said that the friends xxii.
160 Heretics comefroyn ' iheir oioi placed i. e, pride.
Job 2, of blessed Job, though tliey come together to hhn with a good purpose, yet do for this reason bear the likeness of Alleg.
heretics, in that they fall away into sin by speaking without discretion; and hence it is said to them by blessed Job, Job 13, Surely 1 icould speak to the Almighty, I desire to reason with God; but ye are forgers of lies, and followers of corrupt doctrines. Thus Holy Church, which is set in the midst of tribulation all this time of her pilgrimage, whilst she suffers wounds, and mourns over the downfall of her members, has other enemies of Christ besides to bear with, under I Christ's name. For to the increasing of her grief, heretics also meet together in dispute and strife, and they pierce her with unreasonable words like as with a kind of dart.
43. And it is well said, they came every one from his own place. For ' the place' of heretics is very pride itself For except they first swelled with pride in their hearts, they would never enter the lists of false assertion. For the place of the wicked is pride, just as reversely humility is ' the Eccles. place' of the good. Whereof Solomon saith, If the spirit of ' ' the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place. As though he said in plain words, ' If thou perceivest the spirit of the Tempter to prevail against thee in aught, quit not the lowli- ness of penitence;' and that it was the abasement of penitence that he called ^ our place,' he shews by the words that follow, Mb. fidiym^, for healing^ pacifieth great offences. For what else " ^* is the humility of mourning, save the remedy of sin. Heretics therefore ' come each from his place,' in that it is from pride tliat they are urged to attack Holy Church.
44. And their froward conduct, moreover, is collected from an interpretation of their names. For they are named ' Eliphaz,' ' Baldad,' ' Sophar;' and as we have said above, Eliphaz is, by interpretation, rendered, ' contempt of God.' For if they did not condemn God, they would never entertain wrong notions concerning Him. And Baldad is rendered * oldness alone.' For while they shrink from being fairly defeated, and seek to be victorious with froward purpose, they pay no regard to the conversation of the new life, and all that they give heed to is ' of oldness alone.' And Sophar, 'dissipating prospect;' for they that are set in Holy Church humbly contemplate with true faith the mysteries Meaning of the several habitations of Job* s friends. 161 of their Redeemer, but when heretics come to them with Book false statements, they * dissipate the prospect,' in that they turn aside from the aim of right contemplation the minds of those, whom they draw over to themselves.
45. Now the places from whence the\' come are described in fitting accordance with the practices of heretics. For there is aThemanite, and a Suhitc, and a Naamathite named. Now Theina is by interpretation * the south;' Suhi^ ' speaking;' Nomina, * comeliness.' But who does not know tliat the south is a hot wind; so heretics, as they are over ardent to be wise, studv to have heated wits bevond what needs. For sloth goes with the torpor of cold, whilst reversely the rest- lessness of unrestrained curiosity accords with unabated teeming heat, and so because they long to feel the heat of wisdom beyond what they ought, they are said to come from * the south.' Paul busied himself to cool the minds of the faithful to this heat of unrestrained wiseness, when he said, Not to be overwise beyond what he ought to be wise, Rom. but to be wise nnto sobriety. It is hence that David smites Vuig. at the valleys of salt, viz. in that our Redeemer, by the 2 5am. piercing of His severity, extinguishes the foolishness of unre- ' strained wit in all that entertain wrong notions regarding Him. And Suhi is rendered ' talking,' for they desire to be warm-witted, not that they may live well, but that they may talk high; thus they are said to come from Theina and Suhi, i. e. fi'om * heat,' and * talkativeness,' for herein, viz. that thev shew themselves as studious of Scripture, they teem with words of talkativeness, but not with bowels of love. And Naama is interpreted * comeliness,' for because they aim not to be, but to appear learned, by words of deep learning ihey put on the guise of well living, and by their teeming wit in talk, exhibit in themselves a form of * comeliness,' that by the comeliness of the lips they may more easily recommend evil counsels, in proportion as they commonlv hide from our senses* the foulness of their lives, liut neither are the very names of the j)laces set down in undistinguished order in the relation. For Thema is set first, then Suhi, and next Naama, in that first an excessive warmtli of wit sets them on fire, next smartness of speech lifts them up, and I al. u ther hide by the running of their thought. M 162 Heretics kindly called friends. They know not the Church, Job 2, then, finally, dissimulation presents them comely to the eyes of men.
For they had made an appointment together to come ana mourn with him and to comfort him, xxiii. 46. Heretics * make an appointment together,' when they hold in common certain false opinions contrary to the Church, and in the points wherein they are at variance with the truth agree together in falsehood. But all they that give us instruction concerning eternity, what else are they doing, save amid the tribulations of our pilgrimage administering con- solation to us? And forasmuch as heretics desire to impart to Holy Church their own opinions, they come to her as though to comfort her. Nor is it strange if they who set forth a figure of enemies, are called friends, when it is said Mat.26,to the very traitor. Friend^ wherefore art thou corned and the Lukeie "^^^^ ™^^^ *^^^ ^^ consumed in the fire of hell, is called son 25- by Abraham. For though the wicked refuse to be amended by us, yet it is meet that we style them friends, not of their wickedness, but by virtue of our own lovingkindness.
Ver. 1 2. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept. xxiv. 47. All heretics, in contemplating the deeds of Holy Church, lift up their eyes, in that they are themselves down below, and when they look at her works, the objects, which they are gazing at, are set high above them. Yet they do not know her in her sorrow, for she herself covets to * receive evil things' here, that so being purified she may attain to the reward of an eternal recompence, and for the most part she dreads prosperity, and joys in the hard lessons of her training. I Therefore heretics, who aim at present things as something great, know her not amidst her wounds. For that, which they see in her, they recognise not in the reading of their own hearts. While she then is gaining ground even by her adversities, they themselves stick fast in their stupefaction, because they know not by experiment the things they see.
And they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
XXV. 48. Like as we take the garments of the Church for the whole number of the faithful; (and it is hence that the Is. 49, Prophet saith, Thou shall clothe thee with them all as with They rend those Ihey put on. Their thouyJits like dust. 163 an ornament;) so the garments of heretics are all they that Book attaching themselves with one accord to them are implicated