have pacified, pride kindle to an unextinguishable height. Hence it is moreover fitly added concerning this same Wrath, Ver. 13. God, Whose wrath none can resist, and under Whom they that bear the world are bowed down, « Lat. '■ de humo/ whence ' homo,' ' man.'
512 Saints vnthsfand GocVs Wrath when He sustains them.
Job 9, 23. Tt is very strange that it is declared that none can . — '—resist God's wrath, seeing that the divine Oracles witness xvi. that many have withstood the wrathfulness of the visitation of Heaven. Did not Moses resist God's wrath, when standing up for the fallen people, He restrained the very impulse of the stroke from above, by the oblation of his own death, Exod. saying, Yet now if Thou wilt forgive their sin: — and if not ^ ??' ^\' blot me, I pray Thee, out of the book, which Thou hast 16, 47. written? Did not Aaron resist God's wrath, when between the living and the dead he took a censer, and assuaged the lb. 25, fire of visitation with the fumes of incense.? Did notPhinees resist God's wrath, when slaughtering them that went a whoring with strange women in the very act^ he offered his zeal to the 2 Sam. Divine wrath, and pacified fury with the sword? Did not ^ ' * David resist God's wrath, who by presenting himself to the Angel, as he dealt destruction, won the grace of propitiation, 1 Kings even before the appointed time.^ Did not Elijah resist God's ' * wrath, who when the earth was now for long dried up, brought back by a word the showers withdrawn from the heavens.? In what sense then was it said that none can resist the wrath of God, when it is proved by existing examples that numbers have resisted it.? However, if we minutely consider both these words of blessed Job, and the deeds of those persons, we both find it to be true that there is no resisting the Divine Wrath, and also true that many have often resisted it. For all Saints that encounter the wrath of God, obtain it from Himself, that they should be thus set in the way to meet the force of His stroke; and so to say having Him with them, they lift up themselves against Him, and the Divine Power arms them in alliance with Itself against Itself. Since in that which they achieve against the wrath of Him dealing cruelly without, the grace of Him so angered encourages them within, and He bears up those serving Him inwardly, whom He submits to resisting Him outwardly. Thus He bears the supplicant's contradiction which He inspires, and that is forced upon Him as though He were unwilling, which is by Himself commanded to be Ex. 32, done. For He saith to Moses, Now therefore let Me alone, ^^' that My wrath may icax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I will make of thee a great nation.
If God is fully wroth, none can change His purpose. 513 What is it to say to His servant, Let 3Ie alone; but to give Book him boldness to supplicate? As if He said in plain words, ' Consider how thou prevailest with Me, and know that thou mayest obtain whatsoever thou beseechest for the People.' And that the thing is done with this mind, is witnessed by the pardon which is immediately subjoined. But when the Wrath above moveth Itself, so to say, from the heart's core, human opposition cannot stay It; and no man's entreaty presents itself to any purpose, when once God ordains any thing whilst angered from His inward Deep. For it is hence that Moses, who blotted out by his entreaties the guilt of the whole People in God's sight, and whilst he offered himself in the way, appeased the force of the Divine indigna- tion, when he came to the rock Horeb, and for the bringing forth the water gave way to distiiist, could never enter the Land of Promise from the Lord being wroth. And oftentimes he is distressed on this score, often he is troubled by his regret making itself felt, and yet he could never remove from himself the anger of an ordained retribution, who by God's good pleasure removed it even from the very people. Hence David, who afterwards by prayer held back the sword of the 2 Sam. Angel from the fallen People, first fled from his son with^^'^^' bare feet howling and lamenting, and until he received to the full the cup of vengeance for the transgression he had done, he could never abate the wrath of the Lord for himself. Hence Elijah, that as a mortal man he might as it were feel some little of God's visitation, he, who opened the heavens with a word, fled in terror through the wilderness fi'om a woman's indignation; and he proves weak for himself in his dismay, who appeases God's fury for others through his intercession. Thus there is both a possibility of resisting the wrath of God, when He, That is wroth Himself, vouchsafes aid; and there is no possibility at all of resisting it, when He both rouses Himself to deal vengeance, and doth not Himself inspire the prayer that is poured forth to Him. Hence it is said to Jeremiah, Therefore pray not thou for this people, Jer. 7, neither take to thee praise and prayer for them; for I mill not hear in the time of their crying to Me; and again. Though Jer. 15, Moses and Samuel sic be toward this people^ Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not 2l 514 Power in prayer of those who pray for their enemies.
Job 9, 24. Wherein it may be usefully enquired wherefore, so — j — ^many more ancient fathers being set aside, Moses and Samuel alone are preferably and preeminently singled out for the utterance of prayer? Which however we easily learn, if we weigh well the claims of that charity which is bidden to love even enemies. For that prayer comes with a special recommendation to the ears of our Creator, which exerts itself to make intercession for our enemies too; and Matt. 5, hence ' Truth' saith by His own lips, Pray for them that Mark despitefully use you, and persecute you. And again. When 11,25. ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any.
Now when we revolve the deeds of the fathers of old time as Holy Writ describes them, we find that it was Moses and Samuel, who prayed for their adversaries. For one of them had to fly from the persecution of that infuriated People, and yet he interceded for the persecutor's life: the other being deposed from the rule of the People, saith to his own 1 Sam. adversaries themselves, God forbid that I shoidd sin against ' ' the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. Therefore in the difficult work of deprecating wrath, what is it to bring forward Moses and Samuel, but to shew the more plainly that not even they if they stood forward would stay His wrath, who might for this reason have interceded the sooner for their friends, that they were used to intercede with Him even for their enemies. Hence it is said to that same Judaea, Jer. 30, / have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the ^^' ^^' chastisement of a cruel one. And again. Why criest thou for thine ajfiiction? Thy sorrow is incurable. Let the holy man then regard how the wrath of God is restrained by no man"'s intercession, when once it is inexorably called forth, and let him say, God, Whose wrath none can resist. And this we rightly reduce to a particular sense, if we reflect on the woes of that same Israelitish People, which the Saviour, Who was made manifest in the mystery of His economy, abandoned in their pride, and called the Gentiles to the grace of the knowledge of Him. And hence it is rightly subjoined directly, Under Whom they that bear the world are bowed down, 25. For they do bear the world, who sustain the cares and concerns of the prCvSent world. Since every one is necessitated Rulers, or Angels, bear the world, but bend to God. 515 to bear the burthens of as great things as he is a leader of Book in this world; and hence a ruler of the earth is not unsuitably — ^-^ designated in the Greek tongue ' basileus.' For ' laus' means ' people.' Basileus therefore is the title ' basis laou,' which in the Latin tongue is rendered ' basis populi,' or, ' the base of the people;' since it is he that bears up the people upon himself, in that he controls its motions, himself steadied by the weight of power. For in proportion as he bears the burthens of his subjects, like a base he supports a column raised upon it. Let blessed Job, then, full of the power of the prophetic Spirit, see how Judaea is forsaken, and the rulers of the Gentiles are bowed to the worship of the Divine Being, and let him say, God, Whose wrath none can resist, under Whom they that bear the world are bowed down. As though he plainly owned, saying, ' Both the People, that was once subject to Thee, Thou forsakest in Thy severity, and the powers of the Gentiles, that set up their heads, Thou bendest low in Thy mercy.'
26. Though hereby, that it is said. Under Whom they that bear the world are bowed down; we may also understand the Angelical powers; for these bear the world, in that they execute the charges of the governing of the universe, as Paul bears witness, when he says, Are they not all ministering Heh. i. spirits, sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of^^' salvation. Thus he says, God, Whose wrath none can resist, under Whom they that bear the world are bowed down. As if he beheld the humiliation of every created being, and said in fear and trembling, ' Which of frail mortals resists Thy nod, before Whose might the Angelic Powers themselves bow down themselves?' Or, surely, since, when we are bowed down, we see nothing of things above us, those subtlest spirits must needs have been erect, if they completely reached the power of His Majesty; but ' they that bear the world, are bowed down under God,' for though when they are lifted up they behold the loftiness of the Divine Nature, yet not even the Angelic Powers attain to comprehend It. Which Same the righteous man failing from infirmity to fathom, and yet in some degree estimating It from the ministrations of the most exalted spirits being subject to Him, falls back to the consideration of himself with heedful humility, and makes 516 Man's very righteousness needs mercy.
Job 9, himself little in his own eyes compared with the omnipotence iiii^of the Supreme Majesty; saying, ^^* Ver. 14. Hoio great am I that I should answer Him, and talk with Him in my words? xvii. 27. As though he said in plain words, ' If that created being is unable to take thought of Him, which is not burthened by the flesh, in what spirit do I dispute about His judgments, who am straitened by the burthen of corruption.?' But as God's words to us are oftentimes His judgments, declaring the sentence of our actions, so our words to God are the deeds which we set forth; but man * cannot reason with God in his words,' in that, in the eye of His exact judgment, he maintains no assurance in his actions. Hence it is fitly added, Ver. 15. Who, though I possessed any thing righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my Judge, xv^i. 28. For, as we have often said, all human righteousness is proved unrighteousness, if it be judged by strict rules. And so there is need of prayer following after righteousness, that this, which if sifted to the bottom might be brought down, may be firmly established in the mere pitifulness of the Judge. And when this is possessed fully by the more perfect sort, it is said that they possess a something of it. In that the human mind both with difficulty puts in practice the truths apprehended by it, and the things which it apprehends are the merest outskirts. Therefore let him say. Who, though I possessed any thing righteous, yet would I not answer, hut I would make supplication to my Judge. As if he owned in plainer words; * And if I should grow to the practising of virtue, I am made vigorous to life, not by merit, but of pardoning grace.' Therefore we must be strenuous in prayer, when we do right, so that all the righteous ways we live in we may season by humihty; but very often it happens that our very supplication is tost to and fro by such a multitude of temptations, that it seems almost cast off from the presence of tlie Judge. And often our pitiful Creator receives it, but because it cannot put forth itself undefiled, as it is minded, it dreads the sentence of condemnation upon its head. Hence it goes on, Saiufs can scarce think their injirmities allow of grace. 517 Ver. 16. And when I have called and He hath answered Book me^ yet do I not believe that He hath hearkened unto my voice.
29. For very often the mind is set on fire with the flame ^i^- of Divine love, and is uplifted to behold heavenly things and secret mysteries. It is now transported on high, and pierced with full affection, is made strange to things below; but being struck with sudden temptation, the soul which with set purpose had been established erect in God, pierced with arising temptations is bowed low; so that it cannot discern itself, and being held fast between good and evil practices, cannot tell on which side it is strongest. For very often it is brought to this pass, to wonder how it so lays hold of the highest truths, when unlawful thoughts defile it; and again how it admits unlawful thoughts, when the fervour of the Holy Spirit with power transports it above itself. Which alternate motions of thought in the mind being viewed aright by the Psalmist, he exclaims, Tliey mount upFs. 107, to the heaven, they go down again to the depths. For we mount up to the heaven, when we enter into the things above, but we go down to the depths, when we are suddenly cast down from the height of contemplation by grovelling temptations. Thus whilst the motions of the mind alternate between vows and vices, too truly they cloud for themselves the certainty of their being heard. Therefore it is rightly said. When I have called and He hath answered me, yet do I not believe that He hath hearkened unto my voice. In that the mind is rendered fearful from its mere changeable- ness, and by that which it is unwillingly subject to, imagines itself cast off and rejected.
30. It is interesting to observe with what exactness the holy man passes judgment on himself, that the judgments of God may find nought in him to take hold of. For having an eye to his own frailty, he says. How much less shall 1 answer, and talk in my words with Him? Not relying upon the claims of his own righteousness, but betaking himself to the hope alone of entreating, he adds, fVho, though I had any tJmig righteous, yet would I not answer, hut I would make supplication to my Judge. But apprehensive for the very entreaty itself, he adds, And when I have called, and He hath answered me, yet do I not believe that He hath 518 Tempest of Judgment. God punishes even original sin.
Job 9, Jtearkened unto my voice. Why does he shrink with so '' great apprehension, why does he tremble with such sore misgiving? but that his eye is fixed on the dreadfulness of the Judge, in the last strict reckoning, and not supporting the power of His searching eye, all that he does seems little worth in his account? Whence he adds thereupon, Ver. 17. For He shall break me with a tempest.
XX. 31. In every case that sinner is ' broken with a tempest,' who seemed to be stablished in tranquillity, in that the man whom the long-suffering Above bears with for long, the last strict Judgment destroys. And this is rightly called ' a tempest,' because it is manifested in a commotion of the Ps.50,3. elements, as the Psalmist witnesses, when he says, God shall come manifest, and He shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before Him, and a mighty tempest round Nahum about Him. And hence another Prophet also says, TJie ' * Lord, His way is in the tvhirlwind and in the storm. In which same w^hirlwind the righteous man is never broken, for this reason, because here he is ever in fear and anxiety, lest he should be broken. For whilst still set in the journey of the present life, he bethinks himself how severe towards the actions of men the Kequirer of works will appear, Who then condemns even without works some that are only bound with the guilt of original sin. Whence the holy man rightly adds thereupon in the voice of mankind, Jnd multiplieth my wounds even without cause. xxi. 32. For there be some that are withdrawn from the present light, before they attain to shew forth the good or evil deserts of an active life. And whereas the Sacraments of salvation do not free them from the sin of their birth, at the same time that here they never did aright by their own act, There they are brought to torment. And these have one vvomid, viz. to be born in corruption, and another, to die in the flesh. But forasmuch as after death there also follows death eternal, by a secret and righteous judgment * wounds are multiplied to them without cause.' For they even receive everlasting torments', who never sinned by their own Job 14, wi, 4i^(j hence it is written, Eve?i ^ihe ii\fant of a single l^XX. ^ See note a, p. 179. on the passage, but it is so quoted by 8 The reference in Ed. IJen. is a St. Aug. Serni. clxx. §. 2. misprint. St. Greg, does not read thus Job suffered, in one sense, * without cause.' 519 day is not inire in His sight iipon earth. Hence ^ Truth' Book says by His own lips. Except a man he horn of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 5. ' Hence Paul says, We were by nature the children of wrath^^^^' ^' even as others. He then that adding nothing of his own is ruined by the guilt of birth alone, how stands it with such an one at the last account, as far as the calculation of human sense goes, but that he is ' wounded without cause?' And yet in the strict account of God it is but just that the stock of mortality, like an unfruitful tree, should preserve in the branches that bitterness which it drew from the root. Therefore he says. For He shall hreak me with a tempest, and multiply my tcounds without cause. As if reviewing the woes of mankind he said in plain words; ' With what sort of visitation does the strict Judge mercilessly slay those, whom the guilt of their own deeds condemns, if He smites for all eternity even those, whom the guilt of deliberate choice does not impeach?'
33. Now that these same sayings are not inconsistent with the case of blessed Job in a special sense, we shall acquaint ourselves, if we pursue the enquiry, how truly they were delivered. For considering himself with exactness, and judging himself in every action, he tells us with what great dread and apprehension he views the force of the seventy of the Most High, adding, For He will hreak me with a tempest. As if it were in plain words, ' For this reason I ever fear Him even in time of quiet, because I cannot but know how He may come in the whirlwind, by His scourges:' which same scourges he both in fearing forecast, and in forecasting underwent. Whence he adds, And will?nultiply my liounds even without cause. For as we have often said already, blessed Job was never stricken that the stroke might blot out sin in him, but that it might add to his meiit. Therefore in asserting himself wounded without cause, he declares that concerning himself openly, which ' Truth*' witnesses of him in secret, saying, Although thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause. The holy man then does not say from pride that which he says only in truth. Nor is he out of proportion with the rule of righ- teousness by those words, by which he is not at variance 5*20 Inward trials. God both Judge and Witness.
Job 9, with the Judge. Who goes on to set forth the continuance -V — " of those wounds, when he adds, He liill not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. xxu. 34^ It is often an exercise of virtue to the just, to be subject to ills from without by themselves; but that the con- flict of a complete trial may discipline their powers, some- times at one and the same time they are rent with torments without, and chastened with temptations within. Hence the holy man declares himself to be full of bitterness, in that whilst he is bearing scourges outwardly, there is a heavier weight, which from the adversary's tempting he carries in his interior; but withal the force of his sorrow is abated by considering the equity and the power of the Smiter. Whence he adds, Ver. 19. If T speak of strength, lo, He is strong; if of equity in judgment, none dareth bear witness for me, xxiii. 35. For He tries the counts of our lives, Who does not make them out by the testimony of another; in that He, Who is one day revealed as a strict inflicter of punishment, Himself was for long the silent witness of the sin. For it is Jer. 29, on this account that the Prophet says, / am judge and Is. 42 witness. Hence he saith again, / Itave long time holden ^^' My peace; I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman. For a woman in travail casts forth with pain, what she has long borne in her womb with burthensomeness. And so after a long silence, like a travailing woman, the Lord utters His voice, in that what He now bears silently in Himself, He one day as it were reveals with pain in the avenging of the Judgment. But it deserves our enquiry; this righteous man, if any had ventured to give testimony in his behalf, would he have cleared him of guilt.'' And if no other gave testimony to him, then, at least, is he himself at all events of strength to offer testimony in his own behalf.? It follows, Ver. 20. If I desire to justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
xxiv. 86. As if it were in plain words; ' Why should I speak about others, when I cannot bear testimony concerning my- Sin so subtle that we cannot make sure of goodness. 521 self?' But whereas thou art not competent to witness to Book thine own innocencj, dost thou know the fact that thou art ^^— innocent? He proceeds, Ver. 21. TJiough I were perfect, even this my soul shall not know.
37. Most commonly if we know the good things that we xxv. do, we are led to entertain pride; if we are ignorant of them, we cannot keep them. For who would not, in however slight degree, be rendered proud by the consciousness of his virtue? or who, again, would keep safe within him that good, which he does not know of? what then remains as a provision against either of these evils, saving that all the good things that we do, in knowing we should not know; so that we both look upon them as right things, and as a mere nothing, that thus the knowledge of their rightness may quicken the soul to a good guard, and the estimation of their littleness may never exalt it in pride? But there are some things which are not easy to be ascertained by us, even when they are doing. For often we are inflamed with a right earnest- ness against the sins of transgressors, and when we are transported by passion beyond the bounds of justice, we account this the warmth of just severity. We often take upon ourselves the office of preaching, that we may in this way minister to the service of our brethren; but unless we be acceptable to the person, whom we address, nothing that we preach is received with welcome; and while the mind aims to please on useful grounds, it lets itself out after the love of its own praise in a shameful way, and the soul vrhich was busied in rescuing others fi'om captivity to bad habits, being itself made captive, begins to drudge to its own popularity. For the appetite for the applause of our fellow-creatures is like a kind of footpad, who as people are going along the straight road joins them from the side, that the wayfarer's life may be barbarously taken by the dagger drawn out of sight. And when the intention of purposed usefulness is drawn off' to our own interests, in a way to make one shudder, sin accomplishes that identical work, which goodness began. Oftentimes even from the very beginning the thought of the heart seeks one thing, the deed exhibits another.
38. Often not even the thought itself proves faithful to "LrFr 5*22 Vanity^ covetoiisness, pride, curiosity, deceive iis.
Job 9, itself, in that it sets one object before the raind's eye, and is hurrying far from it after another in real purpose. For very often we find persons who covet earthly rewards, and stand up in defence of justice, and these account themselves inno- cent, and exult in being the vindicators of right; who if the prospect of money be withdrawn, instantly cease from their defence of justice; and yet they look upon themselves as defenders of justice, and maintain themselves right to them- selves, who the while aim not at rightness but money. In Deut. opposition to whom it is well said by Moses, T7iat which is ^^'^^' just, thou shalt follow justly. For he followeth unjustly that which is just, who is moved to the defence of just deal- ing not by his feeling for virtue, but by his love of temporal rewards. He ' followeth unjustly that which is just,' who is not afraid to drive a trade with that justice, which he makes his plea. And so ' justly to follow what is just' is in the vindication of justness to make that same justness our end and aim. We often do right things, and are far from looking for rewards, far from seeking applause from our fellow- creatures, yet the mind being set up in self-confidence, scorns to please those from whom it seeks nothing, sets at nought their opinions, and drives itself miserably free along the precipices of pride, and is the worse overwhelmed beneath sin from the same source, whence it boasts, its sins as if subdued, that it is subject to no covetous desires.