39. For, saving the historical truth, we are at liberty toxxviii follow in a spiritual way that which our ears receive in a carnal shape. Thus we possess seven thousand sheep, when we feed the innocent thoughts within our breast, in a perfect purity of heart, with the food of truth which we have sought after.
40. And we shall have three thousand camels likewise in our possession, if all that is high and crooked in us be subdued to the order* of faith, and when of our own free will, and in our^rationi longing after humility, it is made to bow^ down itself under a knowledge of the Trinity. For we possess camels, when- soever we put down in humility all the high notions that we entertain. Surely we are in possession of camels, when we bend our thoughts to sympathy with a brother's weakness, that bearing our burthens by turns, we may by lowering ourselves thereto know how to compassionate the weakness of another man. By camels, too, which do not cleave the hoof, but chew the cud, may be understood the good stewardships of earthly things, which, in that they have something of the world, and something of God, nuist needs be represented by a common "^ animal. For though earthly stewardshij) may be subseiTient to our eternal welfare, yet • Commune, one that is partly like the clean, partly like the unclean.
54 What may be meant by camels^ oxen, and asses.
JobI,3. we cannot acquit ourselves of it without inward disquietude. Therefore because both at the present time the mind is disturbed thereby, and also a reward laid up for ever, like a common animal, it both has something of the Law, and some- thing it has not. For it does not cleave the hoof, in that the soul does not wholly sever itself from all earthly doings, but yet it ruminates, in that by the right dispensation of temporal things, it gains a hope of heavenly blessings with an assured confidence. Thus earthly stewardships agree with the law in the head, disagree therewith in the foot; forasmuch as while the objects which they desire to obtain by living righteously are of heaven, the concerns with which they are busied by their performances are of this world. When then we submit these earthly stewardships to the knowledge of the Trinity, we have camels in possession, as it were, by faith. The account goes on; And jive hundred yoke of oxen, and Jive hundred she asses, xxix. 41. There are yokes of oxen for us in our possession, when the virtues in harmony plough up the hardness of our mind. We also possess five hundred she asses, when we restrain wanton inclinations, and when whatever of a carnal nature seeks to rise up in us, we curb in the spiritual mastery of the heart. Or indeed to possess she asses is to govern the simple thoughts within us, which, while they have no power to run in a more refined intelligence, by how much more lowly they walk, bear with so much the more meekness their brother's burthens. For there are some who not understanding deep things constrain themselves the more humbly to the outward works of duty \ Well then do we understand the simple thoughts by she asses, which are an animal slow indeed, yet devoted to carrying burthens, in that very often when made acquainted with our own ignorance, we bear the more lightly the burthens St. Aug. of others; and whereas we are not elevated as by any special T? ^^t ^^^S^^^ ^f wisdom, our mind bends itself in patience to sub- 16, 16. mit to the dulness of another's soul. Now it is well done, whether it be the yokes of oxen or the she asses, that they are mentioned as five hundred, in that, whether in the case that through prudence we are wise, or in the case that we remain ^ Convcrsalionis, which docs not imply obligation.
JVell ordered thoughts are ' a great household' 55 in humble ignorance, so long as we are in search of the rest Book of eternal peace, we are as it were kept within the number of — '- — the Jubilee. It goes on; And a very great household.
42. We possess a very great household, when we restrain xxx. our host of thoughts under the mastery of the mind, that they may not by their rery number get the better of the soul, nor in disordered array tread under the authority which belongs to our faculty of discernment. And the multitude of our thoughts is well marked out by the designation of a very great household. For we know that when the mistress is away the tongues of the handmaids wax clamorous, that they cease from silence, neglect the duties of their allotted task, and disarrange the whole ordered method of their life. But if the mistress suddenly appear, in a moment their noisy tongues are still, they renew the duties of their several tasks, and return to their own work as though they had never left it. Thus if reason for a moment leave the house of the mind, as if the mistress were absent, the den of our thoughts redoubles itself, like a bevy of talkative maids. But so soon as reason has returned to the mind, the confused tumult quiets itself at once, and the maids as it were betake themselves in silence to the task enjoined, whilst the thoughts forthwith submit themselves to their appropriate occasions for usefulness. We possess, then, a great household, when with righteous autho- rity we rule our innumerable thoughts by a discerning use of reason; and assuredly when we do this wisely, we are aiming to unite ourselves to the Angels by that very exercise of discernment: and hence it is rightly subjoined; So that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
43. For we are then rendered great amongst all them of xxxi. the east, when the cloud of carnal corruption being kept down by the rays of our discernment, we are, as far as the possibility of the thing admits, made the associates of those spirits, which abide in the eastern light: and hence Paul says. Our conversation is in heaven. For he that follows Phil. 3, after temporal things, which are subject to decay, seeks the west', Init whoso fixes his desires upon things above, proves 'occa- that he dwells in tlie east. He then is great not among them of the west but among them of the east, who aims to 56 The virtues refresh each other hy turns.
JoBi,4.excel not amid wicked men's scenes of action, who seek low and fleeting things, but amongst the choirs of the citizens above. It proceeds; Ver. 4. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day.
xxxii. 44. ' The sons feast in their houses,' when the several virtues feed the mind after their proper sort; and it is well said, Every one his day, for each son's day is the shining of each virtue. Briefly to unfold then these same gifts of sevenfold grace, wisdom has one day, understanding another day, counsel another, fortitude another, knowledge another, piety another, fear another, for it is not the same thing to be wise that it is to understand; for many indeed 'sapiuntare wise^ in the things of eternity, but cannot in any sort understand them. Wisdom therefore gives a feast in its day in that it refreshes the mind with the hope and assurance of eternal things. Understanding spreads a feast in its day, forasmuch as, in that it penetrates the truths heard, refreshing the heart, it lights up its darkness. Counsel gives a feast in its day, in that while it stays us from acting precipitately, it makes the mind to be full of reason. Fortitude gives a feast in its day, in that whereas it has no fear of adversity, it sets the viands of confidence before the alarmed soul. Know- ledge prepares a feast in her day, in that in the mind's belly, she overcomes the emptiness of ignorance. Piety sets forth a feast in its day, in that it satisfies the bowels of the heart with deeds of mercy. Fear makes a feast in its day, in that whereas it keeps down the mind, that it may not pride itself in the present things, it strengthens it with the meat of hope for the future.
45. But I see that this point requires searching into in this feasting of the sons, viz. that by turns they feed one another. For each particular virtue is to the last degree destitute, unless one virtue lends its support to another. For wisdom is less worth if it lacks understanding, and under- standing is wholly useless if it be not based upon wisdom, in that whilst it penetrates the higher mysteries without the counterpoise of wisdom, its own lightness is only lifting it up to meet with the heavier fall. Counsel is worthless, when the strength of fortitude is lacking thereto, since what it finds out by turning the thing over, from want of strength it Good works invite Faith, Hope, and Charity. 57 never carries on so far as to the perfecting in deed; and fortitude Book is very much broken down, if it be not supported by counsel, since the greater the power which it perceives itself to have, so much the more miserably does this virtue rush headlong into ruin, without the governance of reason. Knowledge is nought if it hath not its use for piety; for whereas it neglects to put in practice the good that it know^s, it binds itself the more closely to the Judgment: and piety is very useless, if it lacks the discernment of knowledge, in that while there is no knowledge to enlighten it, it knows not the way to shew mercy \ And assuredly unless it has these virtues with it, fear itself rises up to the doing of no good action, forasmuch as while it is agitated about every thing, its own alarms renders it inactive and void of all good works. Since then by reciprocal ministrations virtue is refreshed by virtue, it is truly said that the sons feast w^ith one another by turns; and as one aids to relieve another', it is as if the numerous offspring to be fed were to ])repare a banquet each his day. It follows; Afid sent and called for their three sisters, to eat and to drink xvith them.
46. When our virtues invite faith, hope, and charity into xxxin. every thing they do, they do, as sons employed in labour, call their three sisters to a feast; that faith, liope, and charity may rejoice in the good work, which each virtue provides; and they as it were gain strength from that meat, whilst they are rendered more confident by good works, and whereas after meat they long to imbibe the dew of contemplation, they are as it were from the cup inebriated*.
47. But what is there that we do, in this life, without some stain of defilement, howsoever slight? For sometimes by the very good things we do we draw near to the worse part, since while they beget mirth in the mind, they at the same time engender a certain security, and when the mind enjoys security, it unlooses itself in sloth; and sometimes they defile us with some self-elation, and set us so much the lower ' This refers to the Latin sense of ' when one that is to be relieved jtietaa, which however seems not to relieves another.'
I'XciuJe piety towards God. • Debriantur Mss. Ben. ' Ebriantur,' • * Sublevando publevat,* some Ms». but the other word occurs elsewhere; set* have ' sublevanda,' which is better, Pufresne.
58 Prayer gives deeper insight than understanding.
Job 1)5. with God, as they make us bigger in our own eyes. Hence it is well added, Ver. 5. And it was so, when the days of their /easting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them. xxxiv. 47, Por^ when the round of the days of feasting is gone about, to send to his sons and to sanctify them, is after the ^sensum perception^ of the virtues to direct the inward intention, and to purify all that we do with the exact sifting of a reexamin- ation, lest things be counted good which are evil, or at least such as are truly good be thought enough when they are imperfect. For thus it very often happens that the mind is taken in, so that it is deceived either in the quality of what is evil or the quantity of what is good. But these senses of the virtues are much better ascertained by prayers than by examinings. For the things which we endeavour to search out more completely in ourselves, we oftener obtain a true insight into by praying than by investigating. For when the mind is lifted up on high by the kind of machine of com- punction, all that may have been presented to it concerning itself, it surveys the more surely by passing j udgment upon it beneath its feet. Hence it is well subjoined, And rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings, according to the number of them all, XXXV. 48. For we rise up early in the morning, when being penetrated with the light of compunction we leave the night of our human state, and open the eyes of the mind to the beams of the true light, and we oflfer a burnt offering for each son, when we offer up the sacrifice of prayer for each virtue, lest wisdom may uplift; or understanding, while it runs nimbly, deviate from the right path; or counsel, while it multiplies itself, grow into confusion; that fortitude, while it gives confidence, may not lead to precipitation, lest knowledge, while it knows and yet has no love, may swell the mind; lest piety", while it bends itself out of the right line, may become distorted; and lest fear, while it is unduly alarmed, may plunge one into the pit of despair. When then " i. e. mercy, for he speats of the LORD.' If mistakes creep in thus, there ' pietaH' of God towards man. Yet in is often truth hidden in them. Compare Is. xi. 3. it stands for the Greek James 1, 27. tuft(iti», and that for Heb. ^/ear of the Thoughts unuatched lead to IshboshetKs fate. 59 we pour out our prayers to the Lord in behalf of each several Book virtue, that it be free from alloy, what else do we but according — ^- to the number of our sons offer a burnt offering^ for each? ' hoio- ^ caustum for an holocaust is rendered ' the whole burnt.' Therefore to pay a ' holocaust' is to light up the whole soul with the fire of compunction, that the heart may bum on the altar of love, and consume the defilements of our thoughts, like the sins of our own offspring.
49. But none know how to do this saving those, who, before their thoughts proceed to deeds, restrain with anxious circumspection the inward motions of their hearts. None know how to do this saving they who have learnt to fortify their soul with a manly guard. Hence Ishbosheth is rightly said to have perished by a sudden death, * whom holy Scripture at the same time testifies to have had not a man for his doorkeeper but a woman, in these words; And the 2 Sa.m. sopis of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechah and Baanah, ^'^'^^ y^i^ and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, ii'ho lay on a bed at noon; and they came thither into the midst of the house, and the portress of the house was fallen asleep, winnouing wheat. And they came privily into the house fetching ears of wheat, and they smote him in the groin. The portress winnows the wheat, when the wardkeeping of the mind distinguishes and separates the virtues from the vices; but if she falls asleep, she lets in conspirators to her master's destruction, in that when the cautiousness of dis- cernment is at an end, a way is set open for evil spirits to slay the soul. They enter in and carry off the ears, in that they at once bear off the germs of good thoughts; and they smite in the groin, in that they cut off the virtue of the soul by the delights of the flesh. For to smite in the groin is to pierce the life of the mind with the delights of the flesh. But this Ishbosheth would never have perished by such a death, if he had not set a woman at the entrance to his house, i. c. set an easy guard at the way of access to the mind. For a strong and manly activity should be set over the doors of the heart, such as is never surprised by sleep of neglect, and never deceived by the errors of ignorance; and hence he is rightly named Ishbosheth, who is exposed by a female guard to the swords of his enemies, for Ishbosheth is rendered * a 60 Satan entices our good to turn against God.
JoBi,4.man of confusion.' And he is * a man of confusion,' who is not provided with a strong guard over his mind, in that while he reckons himself to be practising virtues, vices stealing in 1 ai. kill him^ unawares. The entrance to the mind then must be kill his £Qj.^-^g(j with the whole sum of virtue, lest at any time enemies with insidious intent penetrate into it by the opening Prov. 4, of heedless thought. Hence Solomon says, Keep thy heart ^^' with all diligence^ for out of it are the issues of life. It is meet then that we form a most careful estimate of the virtues that we practise, beginning with the original intent, lest the acts which they put forth, even though they be right, may proceed from a bad origin: and hence it is rightly subjoined in this place; For Job said, It may he that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.
xxxvi. 50. Our sons curse God in their hearts, when our righteous deeds proceed from unrighteous thoughts; when they put forth good things in public, but in secret devise mischief. Thus they curse God, when our minds reckon that they get from themselves that which they are. They curse God when they can miderstand that it is fi*om Him that they have received their powers, and yet seek their own praise for His gifts. But be it known that our old enemy proceeds against our good actions in three ways, with this view, namely, that the thing which is done aright before the eyes of men, may be spoiled in the sight of the Judge within. For sometimes in a good work he pollutes the intention, that all that follows in the doing may come forth impure and unclean, because it is hereby made to rise troubled from its source. But some- times he has no power to spoil the intention of a good deed, but he presents himself in the action itself as it were in the pathway; that whereas the person goes forth the more secure in the purpose of his heart, evil being secretly there laid, he may as it were be slain from ambush. And sometimes he neither corrupts the intention, nor overthrows it in the way, but he ensnares the good deed at the end of the action; and in proportion as he feigns himself to have gone further off, whether from the house of the heart or from the path of the deed, witli the greater craftiness he watches to catch the end of the good action; and the more he has put a man Snares of mal-intenlion^ and subsequent pride. 61 off his guard by seeming to retire, so much the more Book incurably does he at times pierce him with an unexpected wound.
51. For he defiles the intention in a good work, in that when he sees men's hearts ready to be deceived, he presents to their ambition the breath of passing applause, that wherein they do aright, they may swerve by crookedness in the intention to make the lowest things their aim; and hence under the image of Judaea, it is well said by the Prophet of every soul that is caught in the snare of mal-intention, //e-r Lament. adversaries are the chief. As though it were said in plain ' ^* words, * when a good work is taken in hand with no good intent, the spirits that ai"e against us have dominion over her from the commencement of the conception, and the more completely possess themselves of her, even that they hold her under their power by the very beginning.'
52. But when they are unable to corrupt the intention, they conceal snares which they set in the way, that the heart, lifting itself up in that which is done well, may be impelled from one side to do evil; so that what at the outset it had set before itself in one way, it may go through in act far other^-ise than it had begun. For often whilst human praise falls to the lot of a good deed, it alters the mind of the doer, and though not sought after, yet when offered it pleases; and whereas the mind of the well-doer is melted by the delight thereof, it is set loose from all vigorousness of the inward intention. Often when our sense of justice has begun to act aright, anger joins it from the side; and whereas it troubles the mind out of measure, by the quickness of our sense of uprightness, it wounds all the healthiness of our inward tranquillity. It often happens that sadness, attaching itself from the side, as it were, becomes the attendant of seriousness of mind, and that every deed which the mind commences with a good intention, this quality overcasts with a veil of sadness, and we are sometimes the slower in driving it away even in that it waits as it were in solemn attendance' on the depressed mind. Often immoderate joy attaches itself to a ' Ms8. A.B.C.D.E.M. ' quasi serio * quasi superior famulatur/'ioaa it vrere famnlatur.' Ben. and K. 'senior,' which a superior waiting.' hardly gives a tolerable sense, L. htxs 62 Satan entraps like Ishmael the son of Nethaniah.
Job 1,4. good deed, and while it calls upon the mind for more mirth than is meet, it discards all the weight of gravity from our good action. For because the Psalmist had seen that ev^en those that set out well are met by snares on the way, being Ps. 142, filled with the prophetic spirit, he rightly delivered it; In ^' this way that I walked they hid a snare for me. Which Jeremiah well and subtilly insinuates, who, while busied with telling of outward events, points out what things were done Jer. 41, inwardly in ourselves, Tliere came certain from Shechon, from Shiloh, and from- Samaria^ even fourscore men., having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the Lord. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah toent forth from Mizpah to meet them, weep- ing all along as he went; and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them. Come unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them. For those shave their beard, who remove from them confidence in their own powers. They rend their clothes, that spare not themselves in tearing in pieces outward appearance. They come to offer up in the house of the Lord frankincense and gifts, who engage to set forth prayer in union with works in sacrifice to God. But if in the very path of holy devotion they skill not to keep a wary eye on every side, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah goes forth to meet them; in that assuredly every evil spirit, after the example of its chief, even Satan, begotten in the erring principle of pride, presents itself as a snare to deceive. And it is likewise well said concerning him; weeping all along as he went; forasmuch as in order that he may cut off devout souls by smiting them, he hides himself as it were under the guise of virtue, and whereas he feigns to agree with those that really mourn, being thus with greater security admitted to the interior of the heart, he destroys whatsoever of virtue is there hidden within. And most often he engages to guide to higher things; and hence he is related to have said, Come unto Gedaliah the son qf Ahikam; and while he promises greater things he robs us even of the very little that we have; and hence it is rightly said, And it was so, when they came into the midst qf the city, that Ishmael Satan bruises the good in the heely or end, 63 the son qf Nethaniah slew thein. So then he slays in the Book midst of the city the men that are come to oflfer gifts to God, '- — iir that those souls which are devoted to works of God, unless they watch over themselves with great circumspection, lose their life on the very way, through the enemy intercept- ing them unawares, as they go bearing the sacrifice of devo- tion; and from the hands of this enemy there is no escape, unless they speedily hasten back to repentance. Hence it is fitly added there. But ten men were found among //^e/w, Jer.4i, that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he slew them not. For the treasure in the field is hope in repentance, which, in that it is not discernible, is kept buried closely in the earth of the heart. They then that had trea- sures in the field were saved, in that they who after the fault of their unwariness return to the lamentation of repentance, do not likewise perish when taken captive.
53. But when our old adversary neither deals a blow at the outset of the intention, nor intercept us in the path of the execution, he sets the more mischievous snares at the end, which he so much the more wickedly besets, as he sees that it is all that is left to him to make a prey of Now the Prophet had seen these snares set at the end of his course, when he said. They will mark my heel. For because the end of the P3.56,6. body is in the heel, what is signified thereby but the end of an action } Whether then it be evil spirits, or all wicked men that follow in the steps of their pride, they ' mark the heel" when they aim at spoiling the end of a good action; and hence it is said to that serpent, it shall mark thy head. Gen. s, and thou shall mark his heel. For to mark the serpent's YnW. head is to keep an eye upon the beginnings of his suggestions, *h"« and with the hand of needful consideration wholly to eradicate them from the avenues of the heart; yet when he is caught at the commencement, he busies himself to smite the heel, in that though he does nol strike the intention with his suggestion at the first, he strives to ensnare at the end. Now if the heart be once corrupted in the intention, the