ness, but has no fruit of usefulness for the services of man, which continuing dry in barrenness of practice, is green with only the colour of sanctity alone. But neither does a rush grow without moisture, nor a flag without water, in that the life of hypocrites receiv^es indeed the infused grace of the heavenly gift for the doing of good works, but in whatsoever it does seeking praises without, it proves void of fruit of the infused grace vouchsafed it. For they often perform wonderful deeds of miraculous power, they expel demons from bodies possessed, and by the gift of prophecy, by knowing anticipate things to come, yet they are separated from the Giver of so many blessings in the bent of the thought of their heart. For through His gifts they seek not His glory, but their own applause. And whereas by the benefits vouchsafed them they raise themselves in their own praise, they are assailing their Benefactor with the very gifts of His bounty. For they behave themselves proudly against Him that gave them, from the very circumstance whereby they should have been rendered the more thoroughly humble towards Him. But a judgment the more unsparing smites them hereafter, in proportion as heavenly Goodness now pours upon them even in their ingratitude the dew of His blessing in larger measure. And the fulness of the gift turns to the increase of condemnation to them, because when they are watered they bear no fruit, but under a hue of green rear themselves on high in barrenness. These ' Truth' well describes in the Gospel, saying. Many shall say to 3Ie in Matt. 7, that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? and in Thy Name have cast out devils? and in Thy Name done many wonderful works? Aiid then will I prof ess unto them, I never knew you; Depart from 3Ie, ye that work iniquity. Thus neither the rush nor the flag lives without w^ater, because hypocrites do not take the greenness of good works, save by gift from above; but because they appropriate it to the use of their own applause, they grow green indeed in the water, but barren.
67. Now it is well added, Whilst it is yet in his flower, nor plucked with the hand, it withereth before any other 470 Hypocrites hate and slander those who rebuke them. Job 8, herb. ' The rush in his flower' is the hypocrite in esteem.
MoHAL ^^ ^^ springing up with sharp edges is not plucked with the hand, in that the hypocrite, having his feelings sharpened by presumption, disdains to be rebuked for his wickedness. In his flower he gashes the hand that plucketh him, in that the hypocrite in the midst of applause, that no one may dare to rebuke him, by his cutting tongue wounds the life of the rebuker without delay. For he desires not to be holy, but to be called holy; and when he may chance to be rebuked, it is as if he were lopped off" in the full bloom of his reputation. He is enraged to be found out in his wickedness, he forbids the man that brings his guilt home to him to address him, in that he is as it were pained by being touched in a secret wound. Such as he was known to the ignorant, he would wish to be accounted of all men, and readier to lay down his life than to be reprimanded, he is made worse by censure, because he accounts the word of disinterested goodness as the dart of deadly smiting. Hence in exasperated passion he directly rises in abuse, and looks about for all the evil he can rake together against the life of his rebuker. He longs to prove him beyond all com- parison guilty, that he may make himself out innocent, not by his own doings, but by the guilt of others; so that often the person repents that he has uttered a word of censure, and that just as from the hand of one plucking any thing, so from the mind of the person chiding, there runs out as it were the blood of sorrow, if I may say so. Hence it is well Prov. 9, said by Solomon, Reprove not a scorner^ lest he hate thee, ^' For it is not proper for the good man to fear, lest the scorner should utter abuse at him when he is chidden; but lest being drawn into hatred, he should be made worse.
68. And here it is necessary to be known, that the excel- lencies of good men, as they begin from the heart, go on increasing to the very end of the present life; but the practices of hypocrites, seeing that they are not rooted in secret, often come to nought before the present life is ended. For very frequently they devote themselves to the study of sacred scholarship, and because they prosecute it not for providing a store of merits, but for procuring commendations, the moment that they get hold of the sentence of human applause, aud thereby secure the boon of transitory success, Book they give themselves witli all their heart to worldly concerns, '- ^nd are completely emptied of sacred scholarship, and by their way of acting afterwards, they shew how much they love the things of time, who before only had those of eternity alone on their lips. But it is very often the case that they exhibit an appearance of maturity put on, they shew fair by the com- posure of silence, by the forbearance of long suffering, by the virtue of continence; but when by means of these they have reached the height of the honour that they aimed at, and when respect is henceforth bestowed on them by all men, they immediately begin to let themselves out in wantonness of self-gratification, and they are their own witnesses against themselves that they held none of their good derived from the heart, in that they parted with it so soon.
But sometimes there are persons found who give all they possess, and lavish all their goods upon the needy, yet before the end of their life, inflamed with the itch of avarice, they covet the goods of others, who seemed to be giving their own with a lavish hand; and afterwards with determined cruelty they go after that, which they had given up before with pre- tended piety. And hence it is rightly said in this place, Whilst it is yet in his Jloicer, and not yet plucked uiih the hand, it icithereth before any other herh. For as to their fleshly part even the righteous are herbs, as the Prophet bears witness, who saith, Alljiesh is grass. But ' the rush' is Is.40, 6. said to ' wither before all other herbs;' in that while the righteous continue in their goodness, the life of hypocrites is dried up from the greenness of assumed uprightness. Even the rest of the herbs wither, because the deeds of the righteous come to an end together with the life of the flesh. But the ' rush' precedes the withering of the herbs, for before the hypocrite passes out of the flesh, he giv^es over the deeds of" virtuous habits which he had manifested in himself. Concerning which same it is also well said by the Psalm.ist, Let iJiem be as the grass upon the housetop, which withereth Ps. 12D afore it be iilucked itp. For ' the grass upon the housetop' ^* springeth up aloft, but it is never set firm with a rich soil, forasmuch as the hypocrite is seen practising the highest acts, but he is not slablished therein in purity of intention.
472 Hypocrites lose lasting rewards for transitory.
Job 8, Which same grass even when not plucked up soon withereth, for this reason, that the hypocrite at one and the same time still exists m the present life, and yet already parts with the practices of holiness as with the appearance of gi'eenness. For because he went about to do good works without the purpose of a right heart, by losing these he shews that he flourished without a root.
69. But as we have before said, who he is to whom Bildad likens * a rush' or ' a flag,' he makes plain at the moment, ver 13. where he adds, So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrite'' s hope shall 2ycrish. For what does the hypo- crite hojoe for from all his deeds, saving the observance of honour, the reputation of applause, to be feared by his betters, to be called a Saint by all men.^ But the hope of the hypocrite can never endure, for, from not making eternity his aim, he hastes away from all that he holds in his hand. For the bent of his mind is not fixed in that glory which is possessed without end; but while he gapes after transient applause, he loses in the getting the thing that he toils for. Matt, 6, as ' Truth' testifieth, Who saith. Verily I say unto you, ^' they have had their reward. Now this hope of being vouchsafed a reward cannot be maintained for long, seeing that honour is bestowed for the works exhibited, but life is press- ing on to its close; praises are reechoed, but then along with them the periods of time are speeding to an end. And because the soul is in no wise rooted in the love of the eternal world, it slips away together with the very objects that it is centered in. For no one can attach himself to the moveable, and remain himself unmoved. For he that em- braces transitory things is drawn into transition by the mere circumstance, that he is entangled with things running out their course. Therefore let him say, A^id the hypocrite's hope shall perish. For the applause of man, which he seeks with mighty pains, being driven on by the items of time, does run to nought. And it is well added, Ver. 14. His own folly shall not satisfy him. xliii. 70. For it is infinite folly to labour painfully, and pant after the breath of applause, to apply one's self to the heavenly precepts with hard toil, but to aim at the reward of an earthly kind of recompense. For that I may so express myself, he that in return for the good that he practises looks Their had bargain f and waste of rich fruit. 473 for the applause of his fellowcreatures, is carrying an article Book of great worth to be sold at a mean price. From that - whereby he might have earned the kingdom of heaven, he seeks the coin of passing talk. His practice goes for little, in that he spends a great deal, and gets back but very little. Whereunto then are hypocrites like but to luxuriant and untended vines, which put forth fruit from their fertility, but are never lifted from the earth by tending? All that the rich branches bud forth, stray beasts tread under foot, and the more fruitful they see it is, the more greedily they devour it, thus cast away and laid low, in that the works of hypocrites while they shew fair, come forth as if rich, but whilst they aim at human praises, it is as if they were left forsaken upon the ground. And the beasts of this world, i. e. the evil spirits, devour them, because they turn them to account to the end of perdition, and they seize upon them with greater avidity, in proportion as great things are more clearly known. Hence it is well said by the Prophet, The standing stalk, there is no hud in them, aiid YLos. 8, they shall yield no meal; if so he it yield, the strangers " ^' shall swallow it up. For the stalk is without a bud, when the life lacks the merit of virtuous habits. The stalk yieldeth no meal, when he that thrives in this world understands nothing refined, and yields no fruit of good practice.
71. But very often even vvhen it has yielded meal, strangers eat it up, in that even when hypocrites do shew forth good works, the wishes of evil spirits are satisfied therewith. For those who do not aim to please God by them, do not feed the Owner of the land, but strangers. Thus the hypocrite, like a fruitful and neglected vine, cannot keep his fruit, because the cluster of good works lies prone upon the ground. Yet he is fed by his veiy own insanity itself, in that on the score of good practice he is esteemed of all men, he is set before others, he holds the minds of men in sub- jection, he is raised to the higher posts; he is fed high with applause. Now this folly of his satisfies him in the mean season, but it shall not satisfy him, in that when the season of retribution comes, it displeases him under punish- ment that he was foolish. Then he will perceive that he did foolishly, when, for the gratification of applause, he 474 Best works done for man^s praise but spiders^ webs.
Job 8, receives the sentence of God's rebuke. Then he sees that r^ — '— he has been senseless, when for the transitory glory that he obtained, everlasting torments are his bitter portion. Then punishments disclose the true knowledge to light, in that by them it must at once be concluded that all was nought that could pass away; and hence it is rightly added, A?id whose trust shall be a spider'' s web. xliv. 72. The assurance of the hypocrite is rightly called like the webs of spiders, in that all the pains and labour they spend to acquire glory, the wind of the life of mortality blows to shreds. For as they never seek the things of eternity, they lose together with time all temporal good things. Moreover it is to be considered that spiders draw their threads in a regular order, for that hypocrites as it were regulate their works by the rule of discernment. The spider's web is woven with pains, but it is scattered by a sudden blast, in that whatsoever the hypocrite does with laborious effort, the breath of man's regard carries off; and whilst in the ambition of applause his work comes to nought, it is as if his labour went to the wind. For it often happens that the works of hypocrites last even to the veiy end of the present life, but, forasmuch as they do not thereby seek the praise of their Creator, they were never good works in the sight of God. Thus it is very often the case, as we have said above, that they are upheld by scholarship in the sacred Law, that they deliver lessons of instruction, that they fortify by testimonies every notion that they entertain; but they do not hereby seek the life of their hearers, but applause for themselves. For neither do they know how to put forth any thing else but what may stir the hearts of their hearers to the quick, to pay the recompense of praise, not what may kindle them to shed tears. For the heart being preoccupied with external desires, is not hot with the iirc of divine love, and so words that issue from a cold heart, can never warm their hearers to heavenly affection. For neither can any one thing that is not itself alight in itself kindle any other thing. Hence it is very often brought to pass, that at one and the same time the sayings of hypocrites fail to instruct the hearers, and make the very persons themselves that utter them worse by being exalted with praises. For as Paul bears witness.
Mortification for earthly ends counts as compulsory. 475 Knowledge piiffeth iip^ hut charity edifieth. Thus, whereas Book charity setteth not up in ' edifying,' knowledge in puffing up-rr^ — '-k- overthrows. Very often hypocrites chasten themselves with i. extraordinary mortification, wear down all the strength of their body, and as it were while living in the flesh utterly kill the life of the flesh, and so by abstinence verge upon death, that they live well nigh dying every day; but they seek the eyes of men for all this, they look for the renown of admiration, as * Truth' testifieth. Which saith, jpor they disfigure tJieir faces, that^la.it.6j they may appear unto men to fast. For their faces become pallid, the body is made to shake with weakness, the breast labours with hard and broken breathings. But amidst all thivS, talk of admiration is looked for from the lips of neigh- bours, and nothing else is aimed at by such great pains, saving human esteem. Which same are well represented by that Simon, who in the season of our Lord's Passion bore the Cross in compulsion, of whom it is written. And as theyMa.tt.
came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, him ' they compelled to hear His cross. For what we do by com- pulsion, we do not practise from a heartfelt devotedness of love. And so for him to bear the Cross of Jesus in compul- sion, is to submit to the mortification of abstinence for some other aim than needs to be. Does he not bear the Cross of Jesus under compulsion, who as after the commandment of the Lord subdues the flesh, yet does not love the spiritual Country? And hence the same Simon bears the Cross, but doth not die; in that every hypocrite chastens his body in abstinence, but yet, in the love of glory, lives on to the world.
73. Contrariwise it is well said by Paul of the Elect • For Gal. 5, they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh uith the vices^^' and lusts. For we * crucify the flesh with the vices and lusts,' if we so restrain our appetite, that henceforth we look for nothing of the glory of the world. Since he that mace- rates the flesh, but pants after honours, has inflicted the Cross on his flesh, but from concupiscence lives the worse to the world, in that it often happens that in the semblance of holiness, he unu^orthily obtains the post of rule, which except he displayed something of merit in himself, he would never attain to receive by any pains whatever. But that 476 What we live in is our house; the hypocrite's stands?iot.
Job 8, which he gains for enjoyment is passing, and what ensues in punishment is enduring. Now his assurance of sanctity is placed in the hps of man, but when the inward Judge tries the secrets of the interior, no witnesses of the life are sought from without. Therefore it is well said, IVhose trust shall be a spider^s web; since on the witness of the heart appear- ing, all passes by wherein his confidence consists, founded without in human applause. And hence it is yet further 's^ added with justice, Ver. 15. He leaneth upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall prop it, but it shall not rise up.
xlv. 74. As the house of our exterior life is the building which the body lives in, so the house of our thought is any thing whatever that the mind is centered in by affection. For every thing that we love, we as it were make our dwelling-place by reposing in it. Whence Paul, because he had fixed his heart in things above, being still upon earth indeed, yet a Phil. 3, stranger to earth, said. Our conversation is in heaven. So ^^* the mind of the hypocrite in whatever it does minds nothing else but the fame of its own reputation, nor cares where it 1 ' duci-is carried ^ after by its deserts, but what it is called* in the J^"!' J. /" mean season. Therefore his house is delight of popularity, which he as it were dwells in at rest, in that in all his works he throws himself back thereupon within his mind. But this house can never stand, because praise fleeth away with life, and the applause of man does not hold in the Judgment. Hence the foolish virgins too, who took no oil in their vessels, because their glory was in the voices of others and not in their own consciences, confounded by the presence Matt, of the Bridegroom, say. Give us of your oil, for our lamps ' ' are going out. For to seek oil from our neighbours is to beseech the fame of good works from the testimony of another man's mouth. For the empty soul, when it finds that it has retained nothing within by all its labours, looks about for testimony from without. As if the foolish Virgins said plainly, ' When ye behold us cast away without reward, say ye what ye have seen in our practice.'
75. But the hypocrite leans in vain then upon this house of applause, since no human testimony stands him in stead in the Judgment; for the same praise, which he afterwards Men listen tojlaliery till they deceive themselves. 477 claims in testimony, he before received in reward. Or surely Book the hypocrite leans upon his house, when beguiled by vain '- caresses, he is as it were lifted up in assurance of his holi- ness; for hypocrites do many things evil in secret, but a few things good in public. And when they receive praises from the good that appears, they turn away the eyes of observation from the concealed ill, and they esteem themselves such as they hear without, not such as they know themselves within. Whence it very often happens that they also come to the Judgment of the Most High with confidence, becajise they imagine themselves such in the sight of the Interior Judge, as they were held to be by men without. Yet ' the house of the hypocrite cannot stand,' for in the terror of a sifting search, all the foregoing assurance of holiness falls to the ground. And when he knows that the testimony of another man's lips is wanting to him, he betakes himself to reckoning up his own works. Hence it is still further added. He shall prop it, but it shall not I'ise up. For that which cannot stand by itself, is propped to make it stand; for when the hypocrite sees his life tottering in the Judgment, he sets himself to make it stand in propping it, by the enumeration of his deeds. Do not they prop the dwelling-place of their own praise on every hand, who in reckoning up their own deeds in the Judgment, as we said before, say. Lord, Lord, Matt. 7, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? and in Thy Name ' have cast out devils? and in Thy Name done many marvel- lous works? But the house of praise, stayed up by all these statements, cannot rise, because the Judge saith directly, / never knew you; deptart from Me, ye that work iniquity. And it is to be had in mind that any thing, that rises, lifts itself from below to a higher elevation, and so * the house of the hypocrite cannot rise,' in that in all that he may have done after the heavenly precepts, he never lifted his soul from off* the earth, so that with justice he is not then lifted up to the meed of recompense, who in that which he sets forth now, lies prostrate in the desire of temporal glory. But whereas we have heard how the life of the hypocrite, represented by the name of* a rush,' is rejected in the Judg- ment, let us hear what sort of person he is held by men before the strict Judge appeareth. It proceeds, 478 Hypocrites Jiourinh while the Light of Judgment is hid* Job 8, Ver. 16. It is seen moist before the sun cometh.
16 - — '- — 76. Oftentimes in Holy Writ the Lord is represented by -^yi^ the title of the Sun, as it is said by the Prophet, But unto Mai. 4, you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise. And as the ungodly that are cast away in the Judgment, are "^isd. described in the book of Wisdom, as saying. We have erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the Sun rose not upon us; there- fore, ^ before the sun the rush is seen moist,' in that before God's severity burns hot in the Judgment, every hypocrite shews himself bedewed with the grace of holiness. He is seen as it were flourishing, because he is accounted righteous, he wins the post of honour, he is strong in his high repute for sanctity, reverence is awarded to him by all men, his credit for praise is magnified. Thus this rush is full of moisture in the night, but on the coming of the sun it is dried up, in that the hypocrite is accounted holy by all men in the darkness of the present life, but when the searching Judge cometh, he will appear as wicked as he is. So then let him say, He appears moist before the sun, because now he shews himself flourishing to the eyes of men, but then he shall wither up in the scorching heat of the Divine Judgment. The account goes on; 'germen And his produce^ issueth fo)'th in his springing up.
xlvii. 77. For every herb in general is first raised out of the ground by springing up, it is subject to the influences of the air and heat, it is fed by the sun and showers, and then at length it is made to open itself to put forth the produce of its seed. But the rush is produced along with its flower, and so soon as it springs out of the earth, it puts forth its produce of seed with itself. Therefore by the rest of the herbs the Saints in general are well denoted, but the hyjiocrite by ' the rush,' because the righteous, before they spring up ' in the practice of holy conversation, undergo the winter season of this life, and the heats of bitter persecutions press them hard; and then, when they do what is right, they never look here for the reward of their righteousness, but when ' A. B. D. onr.it ' quam,' making the of solid attainments, and suits the next sense ' first spring up.' The common sentence best, reading refers to the gradual maturing Produce best late. Trees take root slowly. 479 thev depart forth from the labours of the present world, Book . VIII on coming to their eternal Country, they enter upon the enjoyment of their looked-for reward. But contrariwise the hypocrite, in that he springs up in good practice at once, goes about to win the glor}^ of the present world. As it were like a rush he springs up with his produce, who in return for this, that he is beginning to live well, aims at the outset to be held in honour by all men. So that the * produce in the springing up,' is a reward at the outset. For often there are those that abandon the paths of overt wickedness, and put on the garb of holiness, and the moment they have touched the bare threshold of good living, forgetting what they were, they will not be henceforth chastened by penance for the iniquities they have committed, but they long to be commended for goodness begun; they are eager to get above the rest, even though better men than themselves. And for the most part whilst present prosperity follows them to their wish, they become infinitely worse than they were by the wearing of sanctity; but being busied with countless concerns, and distracted by that same busying, th'ey not only never bewail the things that they have done, but still fill up more that should be bewailed. ) 78. For they that quit the world, ought not to be promoted to externaP offices, unless in humility they be for some long^ i. e.