Job 6, instructions which she dehvers to those that be gone astray, - ' but wins acceptance for them by reason, it is well said in th^s Alleo. place, See if I lie. As though it were in plain words, ' In { all that I declare, give no credence to me upon grounds of, j authority, but consider on grounds of reason whether they be true And if at any time she says what cannot be com- prehended by reason, she reasonably advises that human reasoning should not be looked for in hidden truths.' But it often happens that heretics, when they meet with opportunity for reasoning, give themselves a loose in the brawlings of strife. Hence it is immediately subjoined with propriety, Ver. '29. Answer^ I pray you., witJtuut strife. iii. 4. For neither do heretics try to attain truth by their investigations, but to appear to be the winners; and whereas they desire to shew for wise without, they are bound within in their foolishness with the chains of their own pride; hence it comes to pass that they look out for contests of rivalry, and concerning God, Who is our Peace, they know not how to speak with peaceableness, and by the article of peace they become contrivers of strife. To whom it is well spoken by 1 Cor. Paul, But if any man seem to he contentious, we Jiave no ' ' such custom, neither the Churches of God. Now it is rightly added.
And speaking that which is just, judge ye. iv. 5. For every one that speaks, whilst he waits for his hearer's sentence upon his words, is as it were subjected to the judg- ment of him, by whom he is heard. Accordingly he that fears to be condemned in respect of his words, ought first to put to the test that which he delivers; that there may be a kind of impartial and sober umpire sitting between the heart and the tongue, weighing with exactness whether the heart presents right words, which the tongue taking up with advantage may bring forward for the hearer's judgment. Therefore let blessed Job, while managing his own case against his friends, yet telling our proceedings against heretics, blame precipitancy in speakers, and gather words to suit their mind, saying, And speaking that which is just, judge ye. As if it were in plain words, ' If in this, that ye come out to us in the issuing forth of the tongue, ye would not be found fault with, retain within the balances of justice, Error must he silenced to make room for Truth. 417 that what is delivered without, may find acceptance bv the Book weightiness of truth, the more in proportion as the scales of - discretion weigh it well within, and because those put forth a right judgment about the sayings of others, who are used first to sit in judgment on their own; after that he had said, speaking that which is just, judge ye, he immediately adds with propriety, Ver. 30. And ye shall not find iniquity in my tongue, nor shall foolishness sound through my jaws, 6. As if it were expressed in plain words, ' The more v. exactly ye weigh your own words, the more truly ye estimate those of others, and when what ye say begins to be right, ye will recognise what ye hear to be just. For my tongue never sounds of folly to you, unless it be what comes from your own inward thoughts.' Thus Holy Church makes it her aim first to prove the allegations of her enemies to be false, and then to make known the announcements of the truth, for so long as they reckon themselves to hold right notions, they obstinately assail the right things that they hear. Therefore it is necessary beforehand that heretics should feel their eiTor, lest they gainsay the truth when it is heard. For neither if the tiller of the soil neglect to root up the briars of the field by the cutting of the share, will the earth bring to a crop the seed received into her bosom; and when the physician does not get rid of the coiTuption, by opening the wound, healthy flesh never forms in the corrupt spot. First then in destroying what is bad, let him say, And speaking that which is just, judge ye; but afterwards in teaching what is right, let him add. And ye shall not find iniquity in my tongue, nor shall foolishness sound through my jaws. Now it is the way with heretics to deliver some things openly, to hold others in secret, for by the ' tongue,' plain speaking is denoted, but by the *jaws^,' the secret ^ fauces harbouring.
7. Neither in the tongue then of Holy Church does * iniquity resound,' nor ^ foolishness in her jaws,' for the things that she proclaims in open utterance, at the same time she preserves in inward faith; nor does she teach one thing in public and keep another to herself in secret; but she both delivers what she thinks by giving utterance to it, 418 Man's life, since the Fall, a trial and a loarfare.
Job 7, and keeps what she delivers by living accordingly; and what- '- — ever is let out belonging to the feast of heavenly wisdom by the tongue of preaching, she tastes this same by the jaws of silent expectation. And let blessed Job, both as an indi- vidual member of the whole Church, in telling his own case, and as shewing what is the heart of all of the Elect, make known all that he feels, that the testimony of his speech may manifest the uprightness of his mind. It proceeds, Chap. vii. 1. The life of man iij)on earth is a warfare. vi. 8. In this passage in the old Translation the life of man is not called * a warfare' at all, but ' a trial %' yet if the meaning of either word be regarded, the sound that meets the ear outwardly is different, yet they make one and the same concordant meaning. For what is represented by the title of ' a trial,' saving our contest with evil spirits? and what by the designation of ' a warfare,' but an exercising against our enemies? So that trial is itself ' a warfare,' in that whilst a man is watching against the plots of evil spirits, surely he is spending himself under arms for the fight. But we are to observe that this life of man is not said to have ' trial,' but it is described as itself beiiig ' trial.' For having of free will declined from the upright form wherein it was created, and being made subject to the rottenness of its state of corruption, whilst out of self it begets mischiefs against self, it hence- forth becomes the very thing it undergoes. For whereas by letting itself down, it relinquished the erect seat of the interior, what did it find in itself save the shifting of change? And though it now erect itself thence to seek things on high, it directly drops down to its own level from the impulse of a slippery changeableness. It desires to stand up in con- templation, but has not the strength. It strives to fix firmly the step of thought, but is enfeebled by the slippings of its frailty. Which same burthens of a changeful lot, forasmuch as it sought them out of free will, so it bears them against the will. Man might have possessed his fleshly part in quiet, if created aright as he was by his Maker, he had been willing to be possessed by Him; but, whereas he aimed to lift himself up against his Maker, he straightway experienced in himself insolency from the flesh. Now forasmuch as • or ' temptation,' LXX. vrti^arri^tav.
Trials spring even from virtuous attainments. 419 together with guilt*" punishment is also inherited along with Book. it bv birth, we are born with the engrafted evil of a frail '■ nature; and we as it were carry an enemy along with us, whom we get the better of with toilsome endeavours. And so the life of man is itself^ a trial,' in that it has that spring- ing up to it from itself, whereby it is liable to be destroyed. And though it is ever cutting down by the principle of virtue all that it begets in the principle of frailty, yet it is ever begetting in frailty somewhat to cut down by virtue.
9. And so the life of man is in such a wav ' a trial,' that though we are henceforth restrained from the commission of sin, yet in our very good works themselves we are clouded now by the recollection of evil deeds, now by the mists of self-deception ^, now by the suspension of our own purpose ^ seduc- of mind. Thus one man henceforth restrains the flesh from excess, and yet he is still subject to images thereof, in that the things, which he has done willingly, come to mind against his vvill, and what he accounted pleasure he bears as punish- ment. But because he fears to be drawn again into the conquered evil habit, he restrains his greedy appetite by the forcible means of a singular abstinence, and by his abstinence his face is rendered pale; then when paleness is observed in his countenance, his life is commended as deserving of the reverential regard of his fellow-creatures, and presently with the words of commendation vainglory enters into the mind of this man of abstinence, which while the mind having received a shock cannot get the better of, it seeks to blot from the face the paleness whereby that entered in, and so it comes to pass that being tied fast with the knots of infirmity, either in avoiding the paleness of abstinence, it again dreads to be brought under the dominion of excess, by food, or subduing by abstinence the impulse to excess, it apprehends its paleness serving to vainglory. Another man getting the better of the downfall of pride, henceforth lays hold of the state of humility with all the desire of his heart, and when he sees people that are full of pride breaking out so far as to the oppressing of the innocent, being inflamed by the incite- ment of zeal, he is forced to lay aside in some degree the thing he determined on, he displays the force of the side of ^ culpa. Vid. S. Aug. de Naturji et Gratis.
4*20 Seeming contrary duties^ sinful failures.
Job 7, right, and withstands the evil-minded not with mildness, but — — ^ — with authority. Whence it is very commonly the case, that either by pursuit of humility he is led to abandon zeal for the right, or again by zeal for right he interrupts the pursuit of humility, which he maintained. And when the authoritativeness of zeal and lowliness of purpose scarcely admit of being preserved together, the man is made a stranger to himself in his embarrassment. So that he is in a great dilemma lest in a deluded mind either pride pass itself off for the high tone of zeal, or timid inactivity feign itself humility. Another man, considering how great is the sin of deceit, determines to fortify himself in the citadel of truth, so that henceforth no false word should proceed out of his lips, and that he should wholly cut himself off from the sin of lying. But it very frequently happens that, when the truth is spoken, the life of a neighbour is borne hard upon; and whilst the person fears to bring injury upon another, he is brought back, as in an aim of pity, to that evil habit of deceit which he had for long kept under; and so it comes to pass, that though wickedness has no place in his mind, yet the shadow of falsehood dims therein the rays of tiTith. And hence oftentimes, because when a man is urged with questions he cannot keep silence, either by telling a falsehood he slays his own soul, or by speaking the truth bears hard upon the life of a neighbour. Another man, incited by the love of his Maker, aims by uninterraitted prayer to with- hold his mind from all earthly thoughts, and to place it in safety in the secret deeps of inward repose; but in the very mounting of his prayer, whilst he is striving to ascend from things below, he is struck back by the vision of them, and the eye of the mind is stretched to gaze on the light, but from bodily habit it is dimmed by the images of earthly things arising. Whence it very often comes to pass, that the mind of the person so striving, being exhausted by its own weakness, either giving over prayer, is lulled asleep in sloth, or if it continue long in prayer, the mist of rising images gathers thick before its eyes.
10. And so it is well said. The life of man is a trial upon earth, since there also he met with the guiltiness of a down- ward course, where he thought to lay hold on tlie advance Small gifts tempt to idleness^ greater^ to pride. 4*21 raent of an upward one, and the mind is only thrown into Book Tcr T T I disorder by the same act whereby it strove to arise out of its - disorder, so that it is thrown back upon itself shivered by the very means, by which it was already getting above itself collected and compacted. This man being a stranger to instruction in the Divine Law, is kept down by his ignorance, that he should do nothing for the attaining of salvation. That man being endued with the knowledge of the Divine Law, while he is delighted that understanding is vouchsafed to him beyond other men, in that he exults with a selfish delight, wastes in himself the gift of understanding which he has received. And in the Judgment he is shewn to light worse than others by the same thing, whereby he is exhibited brighter than others for a season. The first, because he is lifted high by no gifts of extraordinary powers, eschews the more plain path of uprightness too, and as if accounting himself an alien to the heavenly benefit, does evil things as though with more security, in proportion as he has never been vouchsafed the high endowments of the heavenly gift. The other the spirit of Prophecy replenishes, uplifts to the foreknowledge of events, and shews him things to come as now present. But whilst oftentimes and in many cases he is lifted above himself, so that he does really contemplate future events, his mind being drawn off into self-confidence, fancies that that spirit of Prophecy, which cannot always be had, is always with him, and when he takes every notion that he may have for prophecy, because that he ascribes this to himself even when he has nothing of it, he even loses it in the degree that he might possess it. And so it comes to pass, that he is brought back in sorrow behind the standard of other men's merits by the very means, whereby he was advanced before it in gladness of heart in the esteem of all. And so, Tlie life of man is a trial upon earth, in that either being a stranger to extraordinary powers, it is unable to mount to the heavenly prize, or enriched with spiritual gifts, it is one day ruined the worse by occasion of its ex- traordinary powers.
IL But whereas we have said a little above that ' a trial' is the same as ' a warfare,' it is above every thing to be borne in mind, that something more is signified to us by the title of 4*22 Man^s life Jiere shorty its best wages heyond it.
Job 7, ' warfare,' than by the name of ' trial.' For to our appre- -r-; — '- — hension there is this addition made by the expression of ' a warfare,' namely, that by warfare there is made daily progress towards an end. And whilst the space of warfare goes on iB.&c. increasing in a regular course, the whole warfare of men ^ is raan.' at the same time diminishing. And so, the life of man is a warfare upon earthy in that, as we have said above, each one of us, while by the accessions of time he is daily advancing to the end of life, in adding to his life, is making an end to live. For he looks for the days to come round, but as soon as they are come for the lengthening of life, they are already taken away from the amount of life; for while the step of the traveller too is advancing over the ground in front, what remains of the way is lessening. Thus our life is ' a warfare,' in that in the same degree that it is drawn out to its enlargement, it is brought to an end, so as not to be. Therefore it is well said. The life of man is a warfare upon earth; for whilst by the several periods of time it seeks to gain ground, by that very period which it adds but in losing, it is made to pass away as it grows. And hence the very course of a warfare itself is described in the words that are immediately added.
Are not his days also like the clays of an hireling? vii. 12. The hireling longs for his days to pass the quicker, that he may attain without delay to the reward of his toil; and so the days of man imbued with a knowledge of the Truth and of the things of eternity, are justly compared to * the days of an hireling,' because he reckons the present life to be his road, not his country, a warfare, not the palm of victory, and he sees that he is the further from his reward, the more slowly he is drawing near to his end. Moreover we must bear in mind, that the hireling spends his strength in labours that belong to others, yet procures for himself a reward that is his own. Now it is uttered by the Redeemer's Johnis voice. My Kingdom is not of this world. All we, then, who ^^' being endued with the hope of heaven, wear ourselves out with the toiling of the present life, are busied in the concern of another. For it often happens that we are even compelled to serve the sons of perdition, that we are constrained to give back to the world what belongs to the world, and we are spent The Elect anxioiLsly labour to ensure their reward. 423 indeed with another man's work, yet we receive a reward of our Book VTTT own, and by this, that we manage uncorruptly the interests of ^ - others, we are made to arrive at our own. In reverse of which, ' Truth' saith to certain persons, And if ye have??(;^Lakei6, heenfaiihful to that ichich is another 7nan''s, icho shall give ' you that ichich is your own. Moreover it is to be re- membered, that an hireling anxiously and heedfully looks to it, that never a day pass clear of work, and that the expected end of the time should not come empty for his rewarding. For in his earnestness of labour he sees what he may get in the season of recompense. Thus when his work advances, his assiu*ance in the reward is increased, but when the work is at a stand-still, his hope sickens in respect of the recompense. And hence each of the Elect reckoning his life as the days of an ' hireling,' stretches forward to the reward the more confident in hope, in proportion as he holds on the more stoutly for the advancement of labour. He considers what the transitory course of the present life is, he reckons up the days with their works. He dreads lest the moments of life should pass void of labour. He rejoices in adversity, he is recruited with suffering, he is comforted by mourning, in that he sees himself to be more abundantly recompensed with the rewards of the life to come, the more thoroughly he devotes himself for the love thereof by daily deaths. For it is hence that the citizens of the Land above say to the Creator of it in the words of the Psalmist, Yea, Ps. 44, for Thy sake are we killed all the day long. Hence Paul '"" says, / die daily, brethren^ for your glory. Hence he says i Cor. again. For the which cause I also suffer these things; but^T:^^ I am not confounded, for I know Whom I have believed, and^-, 12. am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. Therefore holy men for all the labours which they now exercise, while committing them to ' Truth,' already hold so many pledges of their recompense shut up in the chamber of hope. Yet oppressive heat is now felt under toil, that one day refresh- ment may be had in rest. Whence it is rightly added immediately afterwards, Ver. 2, 3. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow^ and 424 The heat of trial makes the 'shadotc^ longed for.
Job 7, as an hireling lookethfor the end of his work^ so am I made — ^—^to possess months of vanity, and I have numbered me wearisome nights, viii. 13. Since for ' a servant to desire the shadow,' is after the heat of trial and the sweat of labour to seek the cool of eternal repose. Which shadow that servant desired, Ps.42,2.who said, My soul thirstethfor God, the living God; when Fs. 120, shall I come and appear before God? And again. Woe is me *• that I sojourn in Mesech. Who as if after hard toil retreating from the heat, and seeking a covering that he might attain Ps.42,4.the rest of coolness, says again, For I will enter into the place of the wonderful Tabernacle, even to the house of God. Phil. 1, Paul panted to lav hold of this ' shadow,' having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, This shadow they had already attained unto in the fulness of the desire of their hearts, who Mat.20, said. We which have borne the burthen and heat of the day. Now he that is said to ' desire' the shadow, is rightly styled * a servant,' in that each one of the Elect, so long as he is bound fast by the condition of frailty, is held in under the yoke of corruption, in its exercising dominion over him, as though under the harrassing effect of heat; which same person, when he is stripped of corruption, is then made known to himself as free and at rest. And hence it is well Rom. 8, said by Paul also. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For the Elect are now pressed down by the penalty of a corrupt state, but then they are exalted high by the glory of an incorrupt. And in the same degree that, relatively to the burthens of our present constraint, there is nought of liberty now manifested in the sons of God, relatively to the glory of the liberty to ensue, nought of servitude will then appear in the servants of God. And so the servile garb of corruption being cast off, and the nobility of liberty bestovved, the creature is turned into the gloriousness of the sons of God, in that in being united to God by the Spirit, it is proved as it were to have surmounted and overcome this very thing, that it is a created being. Now he that still ^ desires the shadow' is ' a servant,' in that so long as he is subject to the heat of temptation, he is IVhat is hard in itself, easy for the retvard's sake. 425 beariDg on his shoulders the yoke of a wretched condition, Book and it is rightly added there, and as an hireling looks for - the reward of his work.
14. For an hireling, when he looks at the work to be done, at once resigns his spirit in consequence of the length and burthensomeness of the labour; but when he recalls his sinking spirit to take thought of the reward of his work, he immediately sets afresh his vigour of mind for the exercising of his labour, and what he reckoned a grievous burthen in respect of the work, he esteems light and easy on the grounds of the recompense. Thus, thus, do each of the Elect, when they meet with the crosses of this life, when insults upon their good name, losses in their substance, pains of the body are brought upon them, reckon the things grievous, which they' are tried with; but when they stretch the eyes of the mind to the view of the heavenly, country, by comparison with their reward they see how light is all they undergo. For that which is shewn to be altogether insupportable for the pain, is by forecasting reflection rendered light for the recom- pense. It is hence that Paul is always being lifted up bolder than himself against adversities, in that * as an hireling he looketh for the end of his work.* For he accounts what he undergoes to be a heavy burthen, but he reckons it light in consideration of the reward. For he does himself declare how great the burthen is of what he suffers, in that he bears record that he was Mn prisons more abundantly, in stripes 2 Cor. above measure, in deaths oft,' &c. who ' of the Jews&J, five times received forty stripes save one.' Who was ' thrice beaten with rods, once stoned, thrice suffered ship- wreck, a night and a day was in the deep of the sea; who endured perils of waters, of robbers, of his own countrymen, of the heathen, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren;' who ' in weariness and painfulness, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness,' had labour and toil, who sustained ' fights without, within fears,' who declares himself pressed down above strength, saying, that ice were pressed'^ ^^"^^ out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we were ' weary even of life. But in what sort he wiped off him the streams of this hard toil with the towel of his reward, he himself tells, when he says. For I reckon that the suffer- Rom. 8, N 426 JVant and svffering^ temporal and spiritual, man's lot.
Job 7, ings of this present time are not worthy to he compared with the glory to come, tvhich shall he revealed in. us. Thus, ' as an hireling, he looketh for the end of his work,' who while he considers the increase of the reward, reckons it of no account that he labours well nigh spent. But it is well added, So am I made to possess moiiihs of vanity, and rcearisome nights have I nnmhered me.