were added to, and therefore he calls it ' not a just judgment,' because he tests his life side by side with the scourges: thus, if the life and the scourges be weighed in the scales, that was not equal dealing, which blessed Job, as I have said, supposed to be done to him in the wrathfulness of severity; but if the mercifulness of the Judge be looked to, seeing that by the punishment of the just man the merits of his life are heightened, it was an equal or rather a merciful judgment: 142 GoiJCs final sentence proves that Job did not blaspheme.
Job 19, therefore at once Job spoke what was true, so long as he balanced his life with the stroke; and God did not afflict Job Hist.
with an unjust judgment, in that he heightened his merits by the stroke; and the devil did not achieve what he pro- mised; seeing that blessed Job, amidst words which sound hard, was neither removed from a true sentence nor a humble mind. But perhaps we shall understand these words of blessed Job less well, if we are not acquainted with the sentence of the Judge; Who, when He was delivering sen- tence between the two parties, says to the friends of Job; Job 42, Ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My \'^-QQY> servant Job hath. Who then is there so^ foolish in mind as ' tarn.' to own that blessed Job had been guilty in his way of speaking, when he is declared to have spoken rightly by the very voice of the Judge itself? Which same voice, indeed, if we refer to the person of Holy Church, we not unsuit- ably apply it to her weak members, which while, in the season of her persecution, they weigh both her merits and her scourges, forasmuch as they see that the unjust thrive, and the just perish, have no notion that this is just. Now it is well added by the voice of the blessed man. And compassed me with his scourges. xxxii. 39. For it is one thing to be smitten, and another thing to be ' compassed with scourges.' Thus, we are smitten with scourges, when even in our sorrows we have a consolation derived from other sources; for when affliction lies so heavy on us that the spirit can no longer take breath by consola- tion from any one thing; we are now no longer smitten only, but even ' compassed w4th scourges,' in that we are every way surrounded by the rod of affliction. Thus Paul had 2 Cor. 7, been compassed with scourges, when he said. Without were ^' fightings^ within were fears. He had been compassed with 2 Cor. scourges, when he said. In perils by mine own countrymen, ^^' ^^' in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, with the other particulars, which he so enu- merates, as to shew that he no where had rest. But when Holy Church is ' compassed with the scourges' of her tribu- lation, all the weak in her are brought down in the fall of \ littleness of mind, so that they now suppose themselves dis- regarded, in proportion as they see that they are the more God, not sJiewlng His judgment, seemed not to judge. 143 slowly heard with effect. And it is rightly added yet further Book likewise in a figure of them by the voice of the holy man, Ver. 7. Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no one to Judge.
40. Almighty God, knowing what has in it efficacy to prove xxxiii. our good, shuts His ears to hear the voice of persons mourn- ing, that He may add to their advantage, that their life may be purified by punishment, that the tranquillity of rest which can no where be found here, may be sought for elsewhere. But there are some of the faithful even that know nothing of this grace of Providential ordering, in whose person too it is now said; Behold, I cry out of tvrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no one to judge; for it is said, ' there is no one to judge,' when He veils His eyes to judge, in that beside Him * there is not any to judge' our cause against our adversary. Nor yet is this very thing void of judgment, viz. that judgment is delayed; seeing that at the very time that blessed Job said this, both the merits of the holy man and the punishment of his adver- sary were increased: so then this very deferring of judgment is the act of a judge. But what God settles justly within is one thing, and what the soul bruised by scourges without seeks after is another. Whence he still further adds of that sinking under scourges, Ver. 8. He hath fenced up my way, that I cannot pass: and He hath set darkness in my paths.
41. He saw his ' way fenced up' with strokes, when xxxiv. anxiously desiring to pass into a state of security, he was not able to escape the scourges, and whereas he saw himself smitten, and yet did not find in himself a life worthy of such smiting, as it were ^ in the paths' of the heart he met with * the darkness' of his own ignorance, in that he could not fathom the cause wherefore he was so scourged. And this is not unfitly applied to the weak members of Holy Church too, when fi'om this which they remember to have done wickedly, they are made backward in good practice as well, and, frightened by their own weakness, do not venture to attempt strong acts of goodness to match them. For they fear to begin great acts of goodness, who call to mind that they are infirm in their ways; and whereas they very often 144 The weak find their nay dark^ and are shipped of glory.
Job 19, do not know the very good, which they should choose, they, — — — as it were, shrink from the ' darkness placed in their paths.' For the mind often becomes so doubtful of its own doings, as not to know at all which is the virtue and which the fault. Thus he ' finds darkness in his path,' who in those things which he desires to do, is ignorant what he ought to choose. Therefore seeing that there is sin often from infirmity, and sometimes from ignorance, it is said in the person of the members that go weakly. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass. While in the person of those who see-not clear as to the very good work itself which they should choose, it is added; and He hath set darkness in my paths. For it is punishment of sin, to see the good which we ought to do, and yet not to have the power to fulfil it; and again it is in still worse punishment of sin, not even to see what we ought to do; and hence against both of these it is said Pf».27,i.by the voice of the Psalmist, The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; ivhom then shall I fear? For against the darkness of ignorance the Lord is a ' Light;' against weakness * Sal- vation,' whilst He both shews what ought to be desired for the doing it, and supplies the powers, that what He shews may be fulfilled. It goes on; Ver. 9. He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. XXXV. 42. That all this suits the person of the blessed man set in the midst of tribulation, there can be no doubt; but, since the words of the historical account are plain, they do not re- quire explaining after the letter, therefore they have to be traced out in their mystical senses. Thus he says, He hath stripped me of my glory. For the glory of each individual is his righteousness. Now just as a garment protects from the cold, so does righteousness defend from death; hence righteousness is not improperly likened to a garment, where Ps. 132, it is said by the Prophet; Let Thy priests he clothed with ^' righteousness. But seeing that in the season of her tribulation this garment of righteousness, which covers her in the sight of God, is lost to Holy Church in her members that go weakly, let it be rightly said; He hath stripped me of my glory, i. e. righteousness has been taken away from the weak, whereas it could never possibly have been taken away from Victory and hope of reward lost for a while by the weak. 1 j5 them, if it had been infixed in them from the oround of the Book heart, but for this reason it was possible to be taken away - from them, because it was attached to tlicm outwardly, like a garment. Wherein the question offers itself, how they could be called members of Holy Church, who were capable of losing the righteousness which they seemed to maintain. But it is necessary for us to know, that very often righteous- ness is lost for a while by her weaklj^ members, but when they are afterwards brought back to penitence in the acknow- ledgment of their fault, they attach themselves to that very righteousness which they had lost more strongly than was supposed credible. And it is yet further added thereby, and taken the crown from my head. As the head is the first part of the body, so the leading part of the interior man is the mind. Now the crown is the reward of victory, which is set from Above, in order that he that has contended should be rewarded; and so because many persons, under the pressure of adversities, do not hold out in the contest, in these Holy Church as it were ^ loses a crown from her head:' for ' a crown on the head' is the reward from Above in the mind; there are a great many who whilst they are pressed with adversities, neglect to take thought of the rewards above, and cannot reach to the completion of victory; in such, then, ' the crown is taken from the head,' in that the heavenly and spiritual reward is taken away from the aim of the mind, that they should henceforth go after the externally peaceful, nor look out for the eternal rewards, which they used to have at heart.
43. Or otherwise, ' the head' of the faithful is not inappro- priately taken to mean the priests, in that they are the first part of the Lord's members; and hence it is expressed by the Prophet, that * the head and the tail' are rooted out, in which same place both by the title of the ' head' we have the priests denoted, and by the designation of the ' tail' the reprobate prophet. Therefore ' the crown is taken from the head,' when even they abandon the heavenly rewards, who seemed to have the lead in this body of the Church; and it generally happens that, when the leaders fall, the army, that followed, is the wider worsted; and hence directly after VOL. II. L 146 Some lose hope in trials, some, stricken in judgment, fail.
Job 19, the ills to the greater ones, going on about the manifold -^ — ' undoing of the Church, he added; Ver. 10. He hath destroyed me on every side, and lam gone; and He hath removed mine hope like as with a tree torn away.
xxxvi. 44. The Church is, as it were, ' destroyed on every side,' and undone in her weak members, when those very ones that seemed strong, are brought to ruin; when * the crown is taken away from the head,' i. e. when the rewards of eternity are neglected even by those set at the head; and it is well added concerning weak ones falling. And mine hope hath He removed like as with a tree torn away; for a tree is pushed by the wind that it falls, and with him whom threats so terrify, as to make him go headlong into unrighteousness, what else is it, but that a tree met with a blast of the wind, and lost the standing of its uprightness } For he has, as it were, lost hope by the wind, who, subdued by the threats and persuasions of the wicked, has parted with those eternal rewards, which he looked forward to; and because it very often happens that a person, from fear of punishment, gives over righteousness, it is brought to pass by God's decreeing it, that even in giving up righteousness he does not get quit of the punishments, which he was afraid of, and that he who did not fear at all the destruction of the soul, meets even with the ills of the flesh, which he apprehended. Hence it is yet further added; Ver. 11. He hath also kindled His wrath against me, and He counteth me unto Him as one of His enernies.
xxxvii. 45. For we have been taught by the excellent Preacher 1 Cor. attesting it, that ' God is faithful, Who will not suffer us to ' * be tempted above that we are able, but will with the tempta- tion also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear Jer. 30, it.' Moreover the Lord says by the Prophet, For I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with a cruel chastisement. He then that is so stricken that his powers are overcome by that striking, the Lord no longer now smites him as a son in the course of discipline, but as an enemy in indignation. Thus when the strokes exceed the power of our patience, it is very much to be feared, lest, our sins Evil spirits permitted to beset the soul as robbers. 147 demanding it, we are now no longer stricken as sons by a Book Father, but as enemies by the Lord; and whereas it very often - comes to pass that evil spirits too press home many things to the hearts of the afflicted, and amidst the scourges which strike them outwardly, infuse bad thoughts into their hearts, after the wrath of the Lord it is rightly added; Ver. 12. His robbers come together, and make themselves a way through me.
46. For ' his robbers' are evil spirits, who busy themselves xxxviii. in hunting out the deaths of men; and these ' make them- selves a way' in the hearts of the afflicted, when, amidst the adversities that are undergone outwardly, they do not cease to infuse bad thoughts likewise; of whom it is yet further added; And encamp round about my tabernacle.
For they ' encamp round about our tabernacle,' when they ^Iist. encircle the mind on every side with their temptings; which by most wicked prompting they persuade one while to mourn for things temporal, at another time to despair of things eternal, now to go headlong into impatience, and to cast words of blasphemy against God. Yet these words, as we have already said before, agree with blessed Job even taken his- torically; who, whilst he heaped before his eyes the ills he was enduring, judged himself to be not like a son that must be corrected, but as an enemy stricken with affliction. Through whom even ' His robbers made themselves a way,' in that the evil spirits obtained against him the leave to smite. ' Round about whose tabernacle they encamped,' in that after his substance and his children were taken away, they bruised his whole body too with wounds. But it is very extraordinary, why, when he spoke of the ' robbers,' he added His. clearly with a view to shew that these same robbers belonged to God; on which point, if we make a distinction between the power and the will of evil spirits, it is made evident, why they are called * God's robbers;' for evil spirits incessantly pant to do us mis- chief; but while they have a bad will derived from themselves, they have not the power of doing mischief, except the Supreme Will vouchsafes them permission; and while of themselves indeed they long to hurt us unjustly, yet by 148 Joh, descried by Iris owti, a type of our Lord.
Job. 19, Almighty God they are not suffered to hurt any one saving ^.?rzi^ justly; and so whereas the will is unjust in ihem and the power just, they are at once called ' robbers,' and ' God's robbers,' that it should come from themselves, that they aim to bring down evil things unjustly, and from God that the things so desired they do not consummate saving justly; but because, as we have often said already, the holy man set in the midst of the pain of punishment, one while speaks in his own accents, at another time in the accents of the Church, at another time of our Redeemer, and very frequently so describes his own circumstances, that in a figure he delivers those that belong to the Holy Church and to our Redeemer, concern for historical fact being for a little space put aside, let us shew in these things, which he subjoins, how he accords with the accents of our Redeemer. It goes on; Alleg. Ver. 13, 14. He hath put my brethren far from me; and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. My kins- folk have failed J and my familiar friends have forgotten yne. xxxix. 47. We shall shew this the better, if we bring for\Yard the John 1, testimony of John, who says. He came unto His ow)i, and His own received Him not; for His ' brethren were put far from Him,' and His ' acquaintance were estranged' from Him, Whom the Hebrews that held the Law were taught to prophesy, and never knew to acknowledge when present; whence it is rightly said. My kinsfolk have failed me, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. For the Jews, ' kinsfolk' in the flesh, ' acquaintance' by the teaching of the Law, as it were forgot Him, Whom they had foretold, in that Him they both sung of in the words of the Law, as destined to be made Incarnate, and when made Incarnate denied Him by the words of unbelief It proceeds; Ver. 15. They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger. xl. 48. The inmates of God's house were the Priests, whose 1 origo ^r^^^ 1 QYiCQ set apart in ihe service of God, was henceforth by office continued in that state. But the ' maids' are not improperly taken for the souls of the Levites, servants to the hidden parts of the tabernacle as it were by a more familiar service to the interior of the bedchamber. Therefore let him say of the Priests, serving with sedulous care, let him Our Lord taken for an alien, and disowned bf/ His servants. 149 say of the Levites attending: on the interior of the house of Book XIV God. They thai dwell in my house, and my maids, have - counted me for a stranger; in that the Incarnate Lord, Whom they had for long foretold in the words of the Law, they refused to acknowledge and to reverence. And he yet more plainly shews that He was not known by their wicked will, when he adds; And I was as it were an alien in. their sight.
49. For our Redeemer whereas He was not recognised xli. by the Synagogue, was rendered ' as it were an alien' in His own house. Which the Prophet plainly witnesses, saying. Wherefore shalt thou be as a settler in the land, and as aJer. 14, wayfaring 7nan that turneth aside to tarry? For whereas He was not heard as the Lord, He was taken not as the owner but for ' a settler of the land;' and He only ' turned aside to tarry as a wayfaring man,' in that He carried off but few out of Juda3a, and going on to the calling of the Gentiles finished the journey He had begun; and so ' He was an alien' in their sight, in that while they thought only of the things they could see, they were unable to perceive in the Lord the things they could not see; for whilst they contemn the flesh that was to be seen, they never reached to the unseen Majesty; therefore let it be rightly said; And I was as it were an alien in their sight. Concerning which people it is yet further fitly added; Ver. 16. / called my servant, and he gave me no answer.
50. For what was the Jewish people but a * servant,' which xlii. never obeyed the Lord with the love of a son, but the fear of a slave? Contrariwise it is said to us by Paul, For ye Rom. 8 have not received the spirit of bondage agaiii; but ye have^^' received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. And so this ' servant' the Lord ' called,' in that by benefits vouchsafed, as by voices given out. He strove to bring it to Himself; but it ' answered not,' in that it was indifferent to render back deeds corresponding to His gifts. For God ' calls' us, when He presents us with His gifts; and we * answer' to this calling, when we serve Him worthily according to the benefits we have been vouchsafed; therefore because He prevented the people with so many benefits, let him say, / called my servant, and because even after such 150 The Synagogue, wedded to our Lord, shrank from Hhn.
Job 19, numberless benefits, it contemned IJim, let him add; and 17 — - — he gave me no answer. It goes on; / entreated hi?n with my own mouth. xliii. ^^' ^^ though he said more plainly; ^ 1, the Same that before My Incarnation had given it in charge so many pre- cepts to be practised, by the mouths of the Prophets, coming to it Incarnate, entreated it with my own mouth.' And hence Matthew, when he was telling of precepts being Matt. 5, delivered by Him on the Mount, says. And He opened His ^' mouth, and taught. As if he said in plain speech; ' Then He opened His own mouth. Who before had opened the mouths of the Prophets;' it is hence too that it is said of Cant. ijHim by the Spouse longing for His presence, Let Him kiss ^' me ivith the kisses of His mouth; since for all the precepts which she learnt by His preaching. Holy Church, as it were, received so many ' kisses of his mouth.' Now it is well said, / entreated; in that being exhibited in the flesh, whilst He spoke the precepts of life with humility. He, as it were, besought His servant filled with pride that he would come; and hence it is fitly added; 3Iy wife shuddered at my breath. xliv. 52. What does the ' wife' of the Lord mean save the Synagogue, subject to Him in the Covenant of the Law with a carnal perception? Now the breath is from the flesh, and the unbelieving people understood the incarnation of the Lord in a carnal manner; in that it took Him for mere man; and so His ' wife shuddered at His breath,' in that the Synagogue was afraid to take Him for God, Whom it saw to be man; and when it heard the words from His mouth by bodily utterance, it refused to perceive in Him the mysteries of the Divine Nature, and would not believe Him to be Creator, Whom it saw to be created; and so the carnal * wife shuddered at the breath' of the carnal body, in that being given over to carnal senses, it did not take knowledge of the mystery of the Incarnation. It goes on; / entreated the children of mine own womb. xlv. 53. In God, Who is not circumscribed by the figure of a body, the members of the body, i. e. the hand, the eye, the womb, are named in such a way, that by the designation of the members, the effects of His Power are represented. As 1 IVise andjoolisli alike despised Him. 151 He is said to have eyes, in that He sees all tbines; He is Book described as having hands, in that He works all things. - Now in the womb the offspring is conceived, which is brought forth in this life; what then are we to take the ' womb' of God for, but His counsel, wherein before time we were conceived by predestination, that being created in time we might be brought into the world? And so God, Who abides before time, * besought the children of His womb;' in that those, whom He created with power by His Divine nature, coming Incarnate He besought with humility; but because in that same flesh, wherein He appeared, He was contemned in their estimation, it is subjoined; Ver. 18. The foolish too despised me.
54. The wise falling away from faith in the truth, there is xlvi. an addition rightly made concerning ^ fools' as well; in that when the Pharisees and the Lawyers despised the Lord, the rabble of the people too followed the example of their incre- dulousness, which herein, that it saw Him a man, slighted the announcements of the Redeemer of the world. For often by the title of fools, are denoted those who are poor among the common people; whence too it is said by Jeremiah, There- Jer. 5, fore I said ^ perchance these are poor ^ and foolish ones, that^' know not the vMy of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. But leaving the rich and wise of the world, our Redeemer came to seek the poor and foolish, whence it is now said, as if for the heightening of grief, The foolish despised me. As if it were expressed in plain speech; * Even those very persons despised Me, for whose healing I took to Me the foolishness of preaching.' As it is written, For after that i Cor. i, in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God,^^' it pleased God by the foolishness q/ preac/iiny to save them that believe. For the * Word' is ' the Wisdom of God,' but ^ the foolishness' of this * Wisdom,' the Flesh of the Word is called; that whereas the carnal severally could not by craft of the flesh attain to the wisdom of God, by the foolishness of preaching, i. e. by the incarnation of the Word, they might be healed. Therefore he says. The foolish too despised me. As if it were expressed in plain words; ' Even by those very persons I was despised, for whose sake I was not afraid to be counted foolish.' And whereas the Jewish multitude.
15*2 Oar Lord abhorred by the Counfiellors of His people.
Job 19, when it saw the miracles of our Redeemer, honoured llim — ^-^ for His miracles, saying, This is the Chrisl; but when it John 7, b^^i^'ld the infirmities of His human nature, it disdained to ^^- ^^- account Him the Creator, saying, Naij^ but He deceivelh the people; it is rightly subjoined; And when I departed from them, they spake against me. xlvii. 55. For the Lord as it were drew near to the hearts of people, when He displayed miracles to them; and He as it were ' departed from them,' when He shewed them no signs; but they spake against the Lord so ' departing,' when they refused to yield their faith to Him thus resting from miracles; but what wonder that He met with such treatment from the common folk, when those very persons, who appeared to be teachers of the Law, who gave it out that He was to be made Incarnate in the words of Prophecy, both beheld Him made Incarnate, and yet were parted from Him by the disjoining of unbelief? Concerning whom it is added;