in their errors. But heretics have this point proper to I themselves, that they cannot remain stationary for long in that stage wherein they leave the Church, but they are day by day precipitated into further extremes, and by hatching worse opinions they split into manifold divisions, and are in most cases parted the wider from one another by their con- tention and disordcrment. Thus because all those, whom they attach to their ill faith', are further torn by them in ' perfi- endless splitting, it may well be said that the friends who come rend theii* garments', but when the garments are rent, the body ' rum- is shewn through; for it oftentimes happens, that when the^"° followers are rent and torn, the wickedness of their imaginings is disclosed, for discord to lay open the artifices, which their great guilt in agreeing together had heretofore kept close.
49. But now, they ' sprinkle dust upon their heads to heaven.' What is represented by c^W5/, saving earthly senses; what by the head, saving that which is our leading principle, viz. the mind \ What is set forth by ' heaven,' but the law of heavenly revelation } So, to ' sprinkle dust upon the head to heaven,' is to con'upt the mind with an earthly perception, and to put earthly senses upon heavenly words. Now they generally canvas the words of God more than they take them in, and for this reason they sprinkle dust upon their heads, forasmuch as they strain themselves in the precepts of God, following an earthly sense, beyond the powers of their mind.
Ver. 13. So they sat down with him vpon the yroityid seven days and seven nights.
50. In the day we make out the objects that we look at, xxvi. but in the night, either from the blindness we discern nothing, or from the uncertainty we are bewildered. Accordingly by * day' we have * understanding' represented, and by * night,' * ignorance.' And by the number seven the sum of com- pleteness is ex})ressed; and hence in seven days, and no more, the whole of this transitory period is accomplished. How then is it that the friends of blessed Job are said to sit with him seven days and seven nights, saving that heretics, whether in those things wherein they admit the true light, 164 Sitting with Job is a partial right belief.
Job 2, or in those wherein they are under the darkness of ignorance, — ^^' as it were feign to let themselves down to Holy Church in ' her weakness, while under colour of caresses, they are pre- paring their snares to catch her withal? and though, whether in the things which they do understand, or in those which they are unable to understand, through the swelling^ of a bloated self-elation, they account themselves great in their own eyes, yet sometimes in semblance they bend to Holy Church, and while they make soft their words, they insinuate their venom. ' To sit upon the earth,' then, is to exhibit somewhat of the figure of humility, that whilst their exterior appears humble, they may recommend the proud doctrines which they teach.
51. But it is possible that by * the earth' may be also represented the Incarnation of our Mediator. And hence it Exod ^^ ^^^^ ^^ Israel, An altar of earth shall thou then make unto 20, 24. Me. For to make an altar of earth for the Lord is to trust in the Incarnation of our Mediator. For then our gift is received by God, when our humility has placed upon His Altar, i. e. upon the belief of our Lord's Incarnation, all the works that it performs. Thus we place our offered gift upon an altar of earth, if our actions be firmly based upon faith in the Lord's Incarnation. But there are some heretics, who do not deny that the Incarnation of the Mediator took place, but either think otherwise concerning His Divinity than is true, or in the character of the Incarnation itself are at variance with us. They then that with us declare the true Incarnation of our Redeemer, as it were sit alike with Job upon the earth, and they are described as sitting upon the ground seven days and seven nights; forasmuch as w hether in this very thing that they understand somewhat of the fulness of truth, or in this that they are thoroughly blinded by the darkness of their foolish minds, they cannot yet deny the mystery of the Incarnation. And so to sit upon the earth with blessed Job, is to believe in the true Flesh of our Redeemer in unison with Holy Church.
52. Now sometimes heretics WTeak their animosity against us in punishments as well, sometimes they pursue us with words only. Sometimes they provoke us when quiet, but h typo. There can be no doubt that ' typho' is meant.
Heretics keep silence till opportunity. 165 sometimes, seeing us hold our peace, they remain quiet, and Book they are friendly to the dumb, but hostile to them that open '— their lips, and hence forasmuch as blessed Job had not as yet said aught to them in converse, it is rightly added. And none spake a word unto him. For we find our adversaries bold their peace, so long as we forbear by preaching to beget sons of the true faith. But if we begin to speak aright, we immediately feel the weight of their reviling by their reply; forthwith they start into hostility, and burst out into a voice of bitterness against us, doubtless because they fear lest the hearts, which the weight of folly presses down beneath, should be drawn up on high by the voice of him that speaketh aright. Therefore, as we have said, because our enemies love us when mute, and hate us when we speak, it is rightly said in the case of Job keeping silence, Aiid none spake a word unto him.
53. Yet sometimes when they see the hearts of believers xxvii. vacant through sloth, they do not cease to scatter the seeds of error by speech. But when they see the minds of the good busied on high, seeking the way back to their country, earnestly sorrowing over the toils of this place of exile, they rein in their tongues with anxious heed; in that they see that whilst they assail those sorrowing hearts with fruitless words, they are speedily made to hold their peace. And hence whereas it is well said, none spake a word unto him, the cause of their silence is immediately brought in by im- plication, when it is said, For they saw that his grief was very great.
54. For when our hearts are pierced with violent griefxxviii. from the love of God, the adversary fears to speak frowardly at random, for he sees that by provoking the fixed mind, he not only has no power to draw it to untoward ways, but that by its being stirred up, he may chance to lose even those whom he held bound.
55. Perhaps it may influence some that we have so made out these particulars, that what was well done by the friends should denote that which was to be ill done by heretics. Yet in this way it very often happens that a circumstance is virtue in the historical fact, evil in its meaning and import, just as an action is sometimes in the doing ground of condemn- Alleg 166 Da old in Iris sin a type of Christ, Job 3, ation, but in the writing, a prophecy of merit, which we shall the sooner shew, if we shall bring forward one testimony of Holy Writ to prove both points. For who, that hears of it, not only among believers but of unbelievers themselves also, does not utterly loathe this, that David walking upon his solar' lusteth after Beershebah the wife of Uriah? Yet when he returns back from the battle, he bids him go home to 2 Sam. wash his feet. Whereupon he ansvvered at once, The Ark of the Lord ahideth in tents, shall I then take rest in my house f David received^ him to his own board, and delivers to him letters, through which he must die. But of whom does David walking upon his solar bear a figure, saving of Ps. 19, Him, concerning Whom it is written. He hath set his taher- ' tiacle in the sun? And what else is it to draw Beersheba to himself, but to join to Himself by a spiritual meaning the Law of the formal letter, which was united to a carnal people? For Beersheba is rendered ' the seventh well,' assuredly, in that through the knowledge of the Law, with spiritual grace infused, perfect wisdom is ministered unto us. And whom does Uriah denote, but the Jewish people, whose name is rendered by interpretation, * My light from God?' Now forasmuch as the Jewish people is raised high by receiving the knowledge of the Law, it as it were glories ' in the light of God.' But David took from this Uriah his wife, and united her to himself, surely in that the strong-handed One, which is the rendering of ' David,' our Redeemer, shewed Himself in the flesh, whilst He made known that the Law spake in a spiritual sense concerning Himself. Here- by, that it was held by them after the letter, He proved it to be alienated from the Jewish people, and joined it to Himself, in that He declared Himself to be proclaimed by it. Yet David bids Uriah ' go home to wash his feet,' in that when the Lord came Incarnate, He bade the Jewish people turn back to the home of the conscience, and wipe off with their tears the defilements of their doings, that it should under- > Vulg. solarium, which S. Greg. 1. xxii. c. 87. Corn, a Lapide ad loc.
derives from ' sol,' though perhaps it quotes also St. Ambrose, but says the is rather to be deduced from 'solum,' allegory is of the less perfect kind. St.
like 'terrace' from * terra,' Still the Ephraim, in Sam. t. i.p. 409. c. speaks event seems typical. St. Augustine of Uriah in a similar way. See also p.
has a similar interpretation, with some 443. A. difference in particulars, Contr. Faust. •« Several Mss. ' suscipit.'
Uriah, in well doing, a type of erring Jews. 167 stand the precepts of the Law in a spiritual sense, and find- Book ing the fount of Baptism after the grievous hardness of the_JiI:^ commandments, have recourse to water after toil.
But Uriah, who recalled to mind that the ark of the Lord was under tents, answered, that he could not enter into his house. As if the Jewish people said, I view the precepts of God in carnal sacrifices, and 1 need not to go back to the conscience in following a spiritual meaning. For he, as it were, declares ' the ark of the Lord to be under tents,' who views the precepts of God as designed for no other end than to shew forth a service of carnal sacrifice. Yet when he would not return home, David even bids him to his table, in that though the Jewish people disdain to retura home into the conscience, yet the Redeemer at His coming avouches the commandments to be spiritual, saying. For had ye be- John 5, lieved Moses, ye would ^ have believed Me: for he wrote o/fy, Me, And thus the Jewish peo])le holds that Law, which uw/W tells of His Divinity, whereunto that people deigns not to^^^"^^^ give credence. And hence Uriah is sent to Joab wnth letters, according to which he is to be put to death, in that the Jewish people bears itself the Law, by whose convicting testimony it is to die. For whereas holding fast the com- mandments of the Law it strives hard to fulfil them, clearly it does itself deliver the judgment whereupon it is condemned.
^Vhat, then, in respect of the fact, is more foul than David? What can be named purer than L^riah? What again in respect of the mystery can be discovered holier than David, what more faithless than Uriah? Since the one by guiltiness of life prophetically betokens innocency, and the other by innocency of life ])rophctically represents guilt. Wherefore it is with no inaptitude that by the things that are well done by the friends of Job we have represented to us those to be done amiss by heretics, in that it is the excellency of Holy Writ so to relate the past as to set forth the future; in such wise to vindicate the case in the fact, that it is against it in the mystery; so to condemn the things done, that they are commended to us as fit to be done in the way of mystery.
56. So then as we have completed the allegorical mys-Mop^^L. teries, unravelling them piece by piece, let us now proceed to follow out the sense of tlie moral truth, hastily touching 168 Job's sorea like inioluniary ill Ihoughls from Satan.
Job 2, thereupon, for the mind hastens forward to make out the — - parts of greater difficulty, and if it is for long wrapped up in the plain parts, it is hindered from knocking as it were fit at those which are closed. Oftentimes our old enemy, after he has brought down upon oiu* mind the conflict of temptation, retires for a time from his own contest, not to put an end to his wickedness, but that upon those hearts, which he has rendered secure by a respite, returning of a sudden, he may make his inroad the more easily and unexpectedly. It is hence that he returns again to try the blessed man, and demands pains on the head of him, whom nevertheless the Supreme Mercy while keeping fast yields up to him, saying, \ er. 6. Behold^ he is in tJdne hand: hut save his life.
xxix. 57. For He so forsakes us that He guards us, and so guards us that by the permitted case of temptation. He shews us our state of weakness. And he immediately icent forth from before the face of the Lord, and by smiting him whom He had thus gotten he wounded him from the sole of his foot even to his crown. Thus, viz. in that when he receives permission, beginning with the least, and reaching even to the greater points, he as it were rends and pierces all the » corpus body of the mind ^ with the temptations which he brings 2 ani- upon it, yet he does not attain to the smiting of the souP, in mam that deep at the bottom of all the thoughts of the heart, the interior purpose of our secret resolution holds out, in the i midst of the very wounds of gratification which it receives, so that although the enjoyment may eat into the mind, yet it does not so bend the set intent of holy uprightness as to bring it to the very softness of consenting. Yet it is our duty to cleanse the mere wounds of enjoyment themselves by tlie sharp treatment of penance, and if aught that is dissolute springs up in the heart to refine it with the chastening hand of rigorous severity. And hence it is rightly added immediately, Ver. 8. And he look him a potsherd to scrape the humour withal. XXX. 58. For what do we understand by the ' potsherd,' saving forcibleness of severity, and what by the ' humour,' save laxity of unlawful imaginations? And thus we are smitten, and * scrape off the humour with a potsherd,' when after Ill thouyhts to he cleansed off by self-chastisement. 169 the defilements of unlawful thoughts, we cleanse ourselves Book III by a sharp judgment. By the potsherd too we may understand the frailness of mortality. And then to * scrape the humour with a potsherd,' is to ponder on the course and frailty of our mortal state, and to wipe off the rottenness of a wi'etched self-gratification. For when a man bethinks himself how soon the flesh returns to dust, he readily gets the better of that which originating in the flesh foully assails him in the interior. So, when bad thoughts arising from temptation flow into the mind, it is as if humour kept running from a wound. But the humour is soon cleansed away, if the frailty of our nature be taken up in the thought, like a potsherd in the hand.
59. For neither are these suggestions to be lightly esteemed, which though they may not draw us on so far as to the act, yet work in the mind in an unlawful way. It is hence that our Redeemer was come, as it were, ' to scrape the humour from our wounds,' when He said, Ye have heard Matt. 5, that it was said by them of old time, Thou shall not commit ' adultery. But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. ' The humour,' therefore, * is wiped ofi',' when sin is not only severed from the deed, but also from the thought. It is hence that Jerubbaal saw^ the Angel judg. e, when he was winnowing com from the chaff, at whose ^^* ^'''* bidding he forthwith dressed a kid and set it upon a rock, and poured over it the broth of the flesh, which the Angel touched with a rod, and thereupon fire coming out of the rock consumed it. For what else is it to beat corn with a rod, but to separate the grains of virtues from the chaff of vices, with an upright judgment? But to those that are thus employed the Angel presents himself, in that the Lord is more ready to communicate interior truths in proportion as men are more earnest in ridding themselves of external things. And he orders a kid to be killed, i. e. every appetite of the flesh to be sacrificed, and the flesh to be set upon a rock, and the broth thereof to be poured upon it. Whom else does the ' rock' represent, saving Him, of Whom it is said by Paul, And that rock was Christ / We * set flesh i Cor. then upon the rock,' when in imitation of Christ we crucify ^^' **' 170 Care of thoughts to be practised with humility.
Job 2, our body. He too pours the juice of the flesh over it, who, — — '- — in following the conversation of Christ, empties himself even of the mere thoughts of the flesh themselves. For ' the broth' of the dissolved flesh is in a manner ' poured upon the rock,' when the mind is emptied of the flow of carnal thoughts too. Yet the Angel directly touches it with a rod, in that the might of God's succour nev^er leaves our striving forsaken. And fire issues from the rock, and consumes the broth and the flesh, in that the Spirit, breathed upon us by the Redeemer, lights up the heart with so fierce a flame of compunction, that it consumes every thing in it that is unlawful either in deed or in thought. And therefore it is the same thing here ' to scrape the humour with a potsherd,' that it is there to ' pour the broth upon the rock.' For the perfect mind is ever eagerly on the watch, not only that it may refuse to do bad acts, but that it may even wipe off" all that is become foul and soft in it, in the workings of imagin- ation. But it often happens that war springs up from the very victory, so that when the impure thought is vanquished, the mind of the victor is struck by self-elation. Therefore it follows that the mind must be no otherwise elevated in purity, than that it should be heedfully brought under in humility. And hence, whereas it was said of the holy man. And he took a potsherd, and scraped the humour withal, it is forthwith fitly added.
And he sat down upon a dunghill.
xxxi. 60. For * to sit down upon a dunghill' is for a man to entertain mean and abject notions of himself For us to ' sit upon a dunghill,' is to carry back the eye of the mind, in a spirit of repentance, to those things which we have unlaw- fully committed, that when we see the dung of our sins before our eyes, we may bend low all that rises up in the mind of pride. He sits upon a dunghill, who regards his own weakness with earnest attention, and never lifts himself up for those good qualities, which he has received through grace. Did not Abraham sit by himself upon a dunghill, Gen. 18, when he said. Behold, now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am hut dust and ashes? For it is plain to see in what place he had sot himself, who, at the very moment that he was speaking with God, reckoned him- Humility aided by close examination. 171 self to be * dust and ashes.' If he then thus despises him- Book self who is raised to the honour of converse with the Deity even, we should consider with earnest thoughts of heart with what woes they are destined to be stricken, who, while they never advance a step towards the highest things, are yet lifted up on the score of the least and lowest attainments. For there are some, who, when they do but little things, think great things of themselves. They lift their minds on high, and account themselves to excel other men in the deserts of virtue. For surely, these inwardly quit the dung- bill of humility within themselves, and scale the heights of pride; herein following the steps of him, the first that elevated himself in his own eyes, and in elevating brought himself to the ground, following the steps of him, who was not content with that dignity of a created being, which he had received, saying, / will ascend intoJteaven; I will exalt I'^- 1^> my throne above the stars of God. And it is hence that she, which is united to him by an evil alliance, even Babylon, i.e. * the confused multitude of sinners,' says, / am, andls.47y none else beside me, I shall?iot sit as a widow. Wliosoever then swells within him, has set himself on high by himself. Yet doth he sink himself so much the deeper below, in proportion as he scorns to think the lowest things of himself according to the truth. There are some too that labour not to do aught that is virtuous, yet when they see others commit sin, they fancy themselves righteous by comparison with them. For all hearts are not wounded by the same or a similar offence. For this one is entrapped by pride, while that perchance is overthrown by anger, and avarice is the sting of one, while luxury fires another. And it very often chances that he, who is brought down by pride, sees how another is inflamed with anger; and because auger does not speedily influence himself, he now reckons that he is better than his passionate neighbour, and is as it were lifted up on the score of his righteousness in his own eyes, in that he forgets to take account of the fault, by which he is more grievously enchained And it very often happens that he who is mangled by avarice, beholds another plunged in the whirlpool of luxury, and because; he sees himself to be a stranger to carnal ])ollution, he never heeds by what defile- 17*2 Affliction does not always keep out bad thouyhts.
Job 2, ments of the spiritual life he is himself inwardly polluted; and while he considers well the evil in another, which he is himself without, he forgets to take account in his own case of that which he has; and so it is brought to pass, that when the mind to be pronounced upon goes off to the cases of other men, it is deprived of the light of its own judgment, and so much the more cruelly vaunts itself against others' failings, in proportion as it is from negligence in ignorance of its own.
61. But, on the other hand, they that really desire to rise to the heights of virtue, whenever they hear of the faults of others, immediately recall the mind to their own; and the more they really bewail these last, so much the more rightly do they pronounce judgment on those others. Therefore, foras- much as every elect person restrains himself in the con- sideration of his own frailty, it may be well said that the holy man in his sorrow sits down upon a dunghill. For he that really humbles himself as he goes on his way, marks with the eye of continued observation all the filth of sin wherewith he is beset. But we must know that it is in pros- perity that the mind is oftenest touched with urgent tempt- ations, yet that it sometimes happens that we at the same time undergo crosses without, and are wearied with the urgency of temptation within, so that both the scourge tortures the flesh, and yet suggestion of the flesh pours in upon the mind. And hence it is well, that after the many wounds that blessed Job received, we have yet further the words of his illadvising wife subjoined also, who says, Ver. 9. Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.
xxxii. 6-- For the illadvising wife is the carnal thought goading the mind, since it often happens, as has been said above, that we are both harrassed with strokes without, and wearied with carnal promptings within. For it is hence that Jeremiah Lam. 1 bewails, saying, Abroad the sword bereaveth; at home there 2®* is as death. Since * the sword bereaveth,' when vengeance outwardly smites and pierces us, and * at home there is as death,' in that indeed he both undergoes the lash, and yet the conscience is not clear of the stains of temptation within.
P8.36,5. Hence David says, Let them be a^ chaff before the wind, Tlte Elect treat ill suggestions as Job his wife. 17:3 and let the angel of the Lord persecnte them. For he that is Book caught by the blast of temptation in the heart, is lifted up '— like dust before the face of the wind; and when in the midst of these strokes the rigour of God smites them, what else is it, but the Angel of the Lord that persecutes them?
63. But these trials are carried on in the case of the reprobate in one way, and of the Elect in another. The hearts of the first sort are so tempted that they yield consent, and those of the last undergo temptations indeed, but offer resistance. The mind of the one is taken captive with a feeling of delight, and if at the moment that which is prompted amiss is displeasing, yet afterwards by deliberation it gives pleasure. But these so receive the darts of tempta- tion, that they wear}' themselves in unceasing resistance, and if at any time the mind under temptation is hurried away to entertain a feeling of delight, yet they quickly blush at the very circumstance of their delight stealing upon them, and blame with unsparing censure all that they detect springing u]^ in themselves of a carnal nature. Hence it is rightly added immediately, Ver. 10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. M'hat? shall ire receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil ^