it be not hardened to internal desires. But the ' daughter of the Chaldeans' is not called ' soft and tender,' in that the mind, which is abandoned to evil inclinations, is left in this world's travail, the thing which it most anxiously desires. So that like a handmaid she drudges in the service of the world w^ithout, who refuses as a daughter to love God within. Hence she is bidden to ' take the millstone, and grind meal.' A millstone is whirled round in a circle, and the meal is thrown out. Now each separate course of this world's action is a mill, which, while it heaps up a multitude of cares, as it were whirls the minds of men in a circle, and she as it were throws forth the meal from herself, in that, when the heart is turned wrong, she is ever producing infi- nitely little thoughts. But it sometimes happens that he, who while at rest is accounted of some worth, on being placed in any scene of action is stripped bare. Hence we have it forthwith subjoined in that place. Uncover thy baseness, make bare the shonlder, uncover the thighs.
332 Madmen take disease for strength.
Job 5, pciss over the rivers. For in the execution of a work 2?:Jdi* baseness is uncovered,' in that the base and abject soul is made known in the manifestation of working, whereas before while at rest, it was accounted great. The mind ' makes bare the shoulder,' when it brings to light its practice, which was kept from view. It ' uncovers the thighs,' in that it plainly discovers, by what strides of desire it reaches after the advantages of the world. Furthermore ' it passes over the rivers,' in that it unceasingly pursues the courses of this pre- sent life, which are daily running out to their end. And, whilst it gives over one set, and follows after another, it is as it were ever going on from river to river. These things we have delivered by way of discussion in few words, in order to shew where that mind lies grovelling, which has been unseated from the throne of a holy purpose. For if it ever cease to pant after the things which are above it, it plunges even unceasingly below itself. But it is fixed on high, if, abandoning the love of temporal things, it is bound fast to the hope of a changeless eternity. Lit. 26. It is well said then. Who setieth up on high those that be low. And it is fitly added. And those which mourn He exalteih with safety. Oftentimes in this world even any that be glad of heart are ^ exalted,' whilst they are svvoln by the mere gloriousness of their fortune, but ' those that mourn, the Lord exalts to safety,' in that he raises His sorrowing children to glory by the solid substance of true joy; for they are exalted by safety, and not by madness, who, set fast in good works, rejoice with a sure hope in God. For there are some, as we have said, who both do misdeeds, and yet Prov. 2, do not cease to rejoice. Of whom Solomon saith, Who ^^* rejoice to do evil, and delight in the things that be froicard. Ecc. 8, And acrain. There be wicked men, who are as secure, as though Yu\^. they had the deeds of the righteous. These, truly, are not ' exalted by safety,' but by foolishness, which same are full of pride when they ought to be loaded with sorrow, and for the very reason that these wretched persons let themselves out in exultation, they are wept over by all good men. Verily not unlike to the senses of madmen, they account that insanity, in which they surpass others, to be strength. They know not that it comes from disease, that they are able lo do more The icicked serve God's purpose against their will. 333 than the sane, and they as it were esteem themselves to have Book increased in powers, whilst they are drawing near to the 1- end of life by accessions of sickness. These because they have no perception of reason, are wept for, and they laugh, and they expand in an extraordinary exultation of heart, in the very same proportion that from insensibility they are ignorant of the evil they are undergoing. Those then that * mourn' the Lord ' exalts with safety,' in that the mind of the Elect is full of joy, derived, not from the madness of the present life, but from the certain prospect of eternal salvation. Hence it is fitly added immediately afterwards, with respect to this very destruction of the wicked, Ver. 12. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty^ so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
27. The minds of the lost arc ever awake to evil imagina- xvii. tions, but very often the Providence above counteracts them, and though not even when they are crushed with adversities do they amend the wickedness of their counsel, yet that they may never prevail against the good, He puts a check upon their power. And against these it is brought to pass by marvellous retribution, that whilst the effect of their evil doing is lacking to them, still conscience gives them over convicted to the just sentence of the Judge. Whereas then they devise evil things, they shew what they themselves are about; but, whereas they cannot ' perform their enter- prize,' they, against whom it was imagined, are protected; and hence is yet further added aright, Ver. 13. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness^ and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
28. For oftentimes, some that are puffed up with human xviii. wisdom, when they see that the decrees of God are contrary to their inclinations, set themselves to oppose them with crafty manoeuvres, and that they may bend the power of the dispensation of the Most High to meet their own wishes, they busy themselves in cunning contrivances, they devise schemes of excessive refinement. But they are only exe- cuting the will of God by the very way they are labouring to alter it, and whilst they strive to withstand the purpose of the Almighty, they are obeying His behests; for it often happens that that renders good service to His provident 3-34 Joseph's Brethren brought about what they resisted.
Job 5, ordering, which on the part of human efforts makes a silly — ^ — ^opposition to Him. Therefore the Lord taketh the wise in their own craftiness^ when the acts of man even then conve- niently serve His purposes, when they are opposed to them. Which we shall the better shew, if we bring forward a few instances of actual facts. Joseph's 29^ Joseph had been visited by a dream, how that his thren. brother's sheaves fell down before his sheaf; he had been visited by a dream, how that the sun and moon together with the other stars worshipped him. And because he related these things guilelessly to his brethren, envy and fear of his future dominion over them forthwith smote their breasts; and when they saw him coming to them, they said with Gen.37, jjjalice buruinof asrainst him, Behold tins dreamer cometJi.
Come now therefore^ and let us slay him^ and we shall see what good his dreams ivill do him. And fearing to become subject to his dominion, they let down the dreamer into a well, and sell him to Ishmaelites that were passing by. He, then, having been brought into Egypt, subjected to slavery, condemned on the charge of lust, being vouchsafed aid for the merits of his chastity, and set up for his judgment in pro- phecy, was advanced over the whole of Egypt; and by the wisdom from on high with prudent foresight he collected stores of corn, and thus met the impending peril of a scarcity. And when the famine poured itself over the earth, Jacob, being distressed for the providing of food, sent his sons into Egypt. They find Joseph, whom they did not know, master of the distribution of corn, and that they might win the favour to have food given them, they were forced to worship the distributor thereof with their necks bent down to the earth. Now then let us consider the course of the transaction, let us consider how the power of God * took the wise in their own very craftiness.' Joseph had for this reason been sold, that he might not be worshipped, yet he was for this reason worshipped, because he was sold; for they dared to try a thing in craft, that the counsel of God might be changed; but by resisting they helped on the decree of God, which they strove to get quit of. For they were constrained to execute the will of God by the very act by which they laboured craftily to alter the same. Thus whilst the Divine Saul foiled himself. JonaKs device turned contrary. 335 purpose is shunned, it is fulfilling; thus while human Book wisdom resists, it is ^ caught.' Those brethren feared lest '— Joseph should grow to an height above themselves. But that which was arranged by the Divine disposal, their pre- cautions were the cause and occasion of bringing about. Human wisdom then was * caught' in itself, when in the very way that its purpose was to oppose the wnll of God, it did service toward the completion thereof.
30. Thus, whereas Saul saw David, his subject, grow up Saul, in a daily advance in valorous achievements, he betrothed his daughter to him in marriage, and demanded that an hundred foreskins of the Philistines should be given by him for her dowry, that when the soldier thus challenged sought to exceed his own measure, being delivered over to the swords of his enemies, he might bring his life to an end; according as it is written. The king requireth not any dowry, i Sam. hut an hundred foreskins of the Philislines^ to be avenged '" of the king\s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hands of the Philistines. But David, strengthened by the favourable aid of the interior Disposal, engaged him- self to give the hundred, and he brought back two hundred foreskins. By the convincing force of which deed Saul being overcome, was * caught' in the purpose of his wisdom by Providence above; for by the very means that he looked to destroy the life of the rising soldier, he raised to the highest pitch the fame of his merits.
31. But because the very Elect sometimes strive to be Jonah, sharp-witted in a degree, it is well to bring forward another wise man, and to shew how the craft of mortal men is com- prehended in the Inner Counsels. For Jonah desired to be sharp-witted in prudence, when being sent to preach the repentance required of the Ninevites, because he feared that, if the Gentiles were chosen, Juda3a would be forsaken, he refused to discharge the office of that preaching. He sought a ship and settled to fly to Tharsis, but straightway a storm arises, the lot is cast, that it may be found out to whose fault it is owing that the sea is in commotion. Jonah is found in the offence, he is plunged into the deep, devoured by the whale sv>'allowing him, and there he is brought by the beast carrying h^m, where he despised to go of his own accord.
336 The Jews wrought God's pur-pose toward Christ.
Job 5, See, the tempest of God finds out the runagate, the lot binds j^j^ him, the sea receives him, the beast encloses him, and because he sets himself against paying obedience to his Maker, he is carried a culprit by his own prison to that place, whither he was sent. When God commanded, man would not administer the prophecy; when God breathed on it, the beast vomits the Prophet. God then ' taketh the wise in their own craftiness,' when He brings back even that to serve the purpose of His will, by which the will of man sets itself in contradiction to Him. The 32. Let us, yet further, look well into the wisdom of the Hebrews, that wq may see what in its foresight it resisted, what by so resisting it brought about. Surely, when a multitude of believers was gathering together at the miracles of our Redeemer, when the priests of the people, kindled by the torches of envy, declared that all the world were going John 12, after Him, saying, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Be- hold, the world is gone after Him; that they might cut away from Him the strength of so great a concourse, they en- John ii,deavoured to put an end to His power by death, saying, // is expedient that one man die, and not that the whole nation perish. Yet the death of our Redeemer availed to the uniting of His Body, i. e. of the Church, and not to the severing away of it. And hence it is commanded by Lev. 1, the Law, that in representation of our Sacrifice, the throat of ^^* the turtledove or the pigeon should be cut, and not entirely severed, so that even after death the head should cleave to 1 Tim. the body, in that verily the Mediator between God and man, ^' ^' i. e. the Head of all of us, and the Sacrifice of the true cleansing, from the very cause that He underwent death, was more truly joined to us. After the cutting, then, the head of the turtledove adheres to its body, for neither does the death that intervenes sever Christ from His Church. His persecutors then did that which they laboured after with ])crnicious intent, they brought death upon Him, that so they might cut off from Him the devotedness of the faithful; but faith only gained growth from thence, whence the cruelty of the faithless looked to extinguish it. And while they reckon that they are cutting off His miracles by persecuting Him, in truth they were forced to extend them without God's Will done by man freely or iimcillingly. 337 knowing it. Therefore the Lord took the wise in their own Book YI.
craftiness, when He reduced even that to the service of His pitifulness, in which the fierceness of man raged against Him.
33. For the Just and Merciful One, as He disposes the deeds of mortals, vouchsafes some things in mercy, and permits other things in anger; and the things which He permits He so bears with, that He turns them to the account of His pm-pose. And hence it isbroughtto pass in a marvellous way, that even that, which is done without the Will of God, is not contrary to the Will of God, For while evil deeds are converted to a good use, the very things that oppose His design, render service to His design. For hence it is said by the Psalmist, 77/6" works of the Lord are great, sought out Ps. ni, unto all His ivills. For His works are so great, that by " ^' every thing that is done by man. His Will is sought out; for it often happens that it is done by the very act, whereby it was thought to be tlu'own aside. Hence again it is said, Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in Heaven and in Ps. 135, earth. Hence Solomon saith, Tliere is no wisdom, nor p^^^^ understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. It remains ^l, 30. that, in all that we do, we search out the potency of the Supreme Will, to which same, when we know it, all our conduct ought devoutly to render service, and to follow it as the guide of its course, lest it serve the same even against its will, if it declines it fi'om pride. For the potency of the Divine purpose cannot be evaded, but he that bridles himself in under His nod, tempers it to himself with great efficacy; and he lightens the weight thereof to himself, who willingly bears it on the bowed shoulder of the heart. But as we have above made mention of His persecutors, let us proceed to shew how the words that are subjoined likewise fit their blindness. It goes on; Ver. 14. Theg shall meet with darkness in the day-time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
34. They ' meet with darkness in the day-time,' for in the xix. very presence of Truth, they were blinded by the deceitfulness of unbelief. For we see clearly in the day-time, but in the night the pupil of our eye is dimmed. Therefore whilst the persecutors beheld the miracles of Divine Power, and yet z 338 Darkness in the Light. Christ * The Poor Man/ Job 6, doubted of His Divine Nature, they were subjected to — — ^ darkness in the day-time,' for they lost their eyesight in the Proph.
'light. Hence it is that 'Light' Itself admonishes them, John 12, saying, Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come Jer. 15 upon you. It is hence that it is said of Judaea, Her sun is ^' gone down while it was yet day. It is hence that the Prophet again took up in himself the strain of persons in Is. 59, a state of penitence, in these words, We stumble at noonday 10 as in the nighty ive are in dismal places as dead men. Hence Is. 21, aorain He says. Watchman, what of thenight^f Watchman, ' * what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night. For ' the watchman came by night,' in that the Guardian of the human race even shewed Himself manifest in the flesh, and yet Judaea, being close pressed by the darkness of her faithlessness, never knew Him. Where it is well added in the voice of the watchman. The morning cometh, and also the night. For by His presence hath a new light shone out upon the world, and yet the former darkness remained in the hearts of unbelievers. And it is well said, They shall grope in the noonday as in the night; for we search out by groping that which we do not see with our eyes. Now the Jews had seen His undisguised miracles, and yet they still went on seeking Him, as it were groping Johnio, for Him, when they said, How long dost Thou make us to ^^' doubt? If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. See, the light of miracles was before their eyes, yet stumbling in the darkness of their own hearts, they continued to grope in , seeking for Him. And this same blindness of theirs burst out into cruelty, and their cruelty even to the extent of overt acts of persecution. But the Redeemer of mankind could not for long be held by the hands of His persecutors. Hence it is forthwith added; Ver. 15. But He shall save the poor from the sword of their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
XX. 35. For it is this very Poor Man of whom it is said by 2 Cor. Paul, Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor.
^' ^' And because the Jews in accusing betrayed the Lord, Whom, when so betrayed, the Gentiles put to death, by ' the sword of the mouth' may be signified the tongue of the Hebrews, that '' Perhaps he understands, Quid de node? ' Wherefore by night?^ His ' needi/ ones' have hope through His Resurrection. 339 were His accusers, of whom the Psalmist saith, Whose teeth Book are spears and arrows^ and their tongue a sharpj sword. For.
as the Gospel also witnesses, they cried out, Crucify Him, 4. ' Crucify Him. But by ' the hand of the violent' may be set^g^^gi forth the very Gentile world itself, which crucified Him, Johni9, which in our Redeemer's death fulfilled in act the words of the * Hebrews. God then ' saved this Poor One both from the hand of the violent,' and from ' the sword of the mouth,' in that our Redeemer, in His human Nature, was subjected both to the powers of the Gentiles, and to the tongues of the Jews by dying, but in the power of His Divine Nature He over- came them by rising again. By which same resurrection what else is brought to pass than that our weakness is strengthened to conceive the hope of the life hereafter.? And hence it is well added immediately afterwards, Ver. 16. And so the needy shall have hope.
36. For when the poor man is rescued, * the needy' is xxi. restored to hope, for the lowly people of the faithful is shaken with dismay at our Redeemer dying, but is established firm by His rising again, for the very first poor ones of His people, viz. the chosen Preachers, were smitten by the sight of His death, but restored by the manifesting of His resurrec- tion. When, then, the poor man is saved, ' the needy' recovers hope, for by the Lord rising again in the flesh, every faithful soul is strengthened to have a confident expectation of eternal life. But, now, the Truth has already come in an open manifestation. He has already undergone the death of the flesh, and destroyed the same by rising again, already the glory of the Ascension has ennobled His Resurrection, and yet the tongue of the Hebrews does not yet cease to urge Him with insults; and He indeed suffers them with patience, that by such sufferance He may turn some, and others that refuse to be turned He may one day visit with severer punishment. For the tongue of un- believers will then be struck dumb from their habit of unbridled speech, when it shall see Him coming as a just Judge, Whom now it has judged unjustly. And hence it is well added.
And iniquity shall stop her mouth.
37. For now iniquity still opens wide her mouth, in that the xxii.
340 Envy the darker for light in others.
Job 5( tongue of unbelievers never ceases to urge with insults the ^^' ' Redeemer of the human race. But she shall then ' stop her mouth,' when this same, which she will not shut in good will, she shall shut in punishment. Yet this may also be well understood of the conversion of the persecutors. For when * the poor is saved,' whilst ' the needy' returns to hope, iniquity is struck dumb, her mouth being stopped, in that by the miracle of His Resurrection shining out, whilst a full number of unbelievers is brought to the faith, it has ceased from the mocking and abuse of its Redeemer. For its mouth, which it opened in mocking God, it has wow shut in the dread of Him.
Moral. 38. It is good to run through these points in a moral sense, putting aside the signification of the Jewish people, and to trace out in what manner they are transacted by wicked men in general. For the minds of the wicked, when they see some things done well by their neighbours, are strained upon the stretched rack of their jealousy, and they undergo the grievous chastisement of their own malice, when with a consuming heart they see good in others. Therefore it is well said, They meet with darkness in the day time. For when their mind is grieved for the superiority of another, there is an overshadowing from the ray of the light; for oftentimes while they view the unconcealed good qualities in their neighbours, they look closely if there be any evil points lying concealed from sight, and they busy themselves in eager scrutinies, if they may chance to find somewhat with which they may be able to charge them. Sound limbs indeed are all they see, but, with the eyes of the heart closed, they seek Vjy feeling to find a sore. And hence it is rightly subjoined, And grope in the noonday as in the night. The day of good deeds shines outwardly in a neighbour, but they ' grope as it were in the night,' because inwardly they are under the darkness of their jealous feeling. They busy themselves to get to some points which they may censure, they seek out an opening for detraction, but forasmuch as they are unable to find this, they search about in blindness without. Which is well set forth in that occasion, when from the Angels protecting Lot, the inhabitants of Sodom could not find the doorway in his house, as it is written, God saves the Righteous from evil hands and tongues. 34 1 A7id they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came Book near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, ^^' and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door, t-il^' And they smote the 7nen that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied theuhselves to find the door. What does it mean that, when the wicked are up in arms against him, Lot is brought back into the house, and defended, but that every righteous mau, while he encounters the assaults of evil ones, is brought back into his interior, and abides undismayed. But the men of Sodom cannot find the door in Lot's house, because the corrupters of souls detect no opening of accusation against the life of the righteous man. For, stricken with bhndness, they as it were go round and round the house, who, under the influence of envy scrutinize words and deeds; but because in the hfe of the just, strong and praiseworthy conduct fronts them every way, groping at random they feel nothing else than the wall. Therefore it is well said, And grope in the noonday as in the night. For while the good, which they see, it is out of their power to impeach, being blinded by wicked- ness, they search out for impeachment evil which thev see