was that was of a nature to come to an end. Let us ima- gine a man to have lived from the first day of the world's creation to this present day, yet on this day to end the life, which he seemed to have continued to so great a length, lo, the end is come, the things past are already become nought, in that every thing has passed away. For the future in this world is nought, in that not a moment, or the very shortest particle of time remains to our life. Where then is that long time, which, comprehended between the beginning and the end, is so wasted in substance, just as if it had not ever been even short in duration?
174 The hypocrite s joy in in (hinys that abide no/.
Job 20, 4. Therefore because the wicked have their heart centered — j~^in this life, surely tliey set themselves up therein and seek to win applause. They are lifted up by the flattery of the lips, having no desire to be good, but only to be called so. Which praise they think is of a great length while they receive it, but understand to have been brief when they lose it. Whence it is well said against these wicked persons, This I know of old, since man was placed upon earthy that the triumphing of the wicked is short; and it is well added, And the joy of the hypocrite hut for a moment. It often happens that while the hypocrite passes himself off" for holy, without a fear of letting himself appear wicked, he is honoured of all men, and the high credit of holiness is awarded to him, by those who can make out the outside, but have no eyes to look into the interior of things. Whence it happens, that he triumphs in having the first seat, is overjoyed in getting the first couch, filled with pride at receiving the first invitation, elevated at the respectful address of his followers, swoln in the pride of his heart at the observance of his dependents, Mat.23, as is said of such by the voice of Truth Himself. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they mak.j broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of m£n, Rabbi, Rabbi. But all this joy of theirs, compared with eternity, what will become of it, when, the crisis of death being upon them, it perishes, as though it had never been.'^ Of which same joy the mirth is all gone, the ' causa, punishment remains, and when the thing is lost, the guilt' """'* ■ endures. And it is well said; 7^6? joy of the hypocrite like a point. For in making a point the style is lifted up as soon as set down, and there is no lingering, that it may be drawn along a line to be described. And so the joy of the hypocrite ' is like a point,' in that it appears for a moment, and is gone for ever; and just as the style, in the case of a point, while set down is lifted up in one, so the hypocrite, whilst he touches, parts with the joys of the present life. Concerning whom it is also added; Ver. 6, 7. Though his pride mount up unto the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds: Yet he shall perish at last like the dmighill.
The hypocrite's soul shewn at last a dunghill of vices. 175 5. The pride of the hypocrite is said to ' mount up unto Book the heavens,' when his high-mindedncss has the appearance IV.
of leading a heavenly life; and his ' head as it were reaches unto the clouds,' when the leading part, i. e. his intellect, is thought to equal the merits of the Saints that have gone before. Yet he * perishes at last like the dunghill,' because at his death, when he is led to torments, being full of the dung of evil habits, he is trodden under foot of evil spirits. For the joys of the present life, which the unrighteous account great good, righteous men look upon as dung. Whence it is written: A slothful man is stoned icith the^cdus.
dung of oxen. Thus he that will not follow God is made ' slothful in the love of the life everlasting. And as often as he is stricken with the loss of temporal goods, he is surely troubled on the score of those things, which the righteous look down upon as ' dung:' what else is it with him, then, that is braised with the buffeting of things earthly, than that he * is stoned with the dung of oxen?' And the hypocrite is justly described like a dunghill, in that while he aims to obtain temporal glory, at one time in the ima- gination of his heart he swells within himself, at another time he grudges that same glory to some, and laughs at others having it really. For all the evil qualities then that he is full oi\ his breast as it were is defiled with so much dung, in the eye of the Eternal Judge. Therefore it may be said, Though his pride mount up unto the lieavens^ and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall perish at last like the dunghill. Which same, though he feign to lead a heavenly life, though he shew his view of truth to accord with the true preachers, yet he ' perishes like a dunghill in the end,' in that his soul is damned for the stench of his evil qualities. It goes on; They which had seen him shall say, Where is he?
6. It generally happens that the life of the hypocrite is v. even by all men discovered at the end to be damnable, for it to be made appear by plainer marks now what sort they were of. They then that saw him elate at this present time shall say of him when dead, Where is he? For neither is he seen here where he was elated, nor yel in the rest of eternity, which he was supposed to be of. Concerning the shortness of whose life it is yet further added with fitness; 176 The hypocrite's life a dream of false (f lory.
Job 20, Ver. 8. He shall fly away as a dream^ and shall no I be -found: yea^ he shall he chased away as a vision of Ihe 8.
Lit.
night vi. 7. What else is the life of the hypocrite but the vision of a phantom, which exhibits that in semblance which it does not possess in truth? Whence too it is justly likened to ' a dream,' in that all praise and glory is, as it were, gone from him whilst it is being held. For oftentimes in a ' vision of the night,' some that are poor are full of wonder that they are made rich, they see honours awarded to them, they behold heaps of riches, a multitude of attendants, the most beautiful garments, abundance of food presented to them. They are delighted to have escaped poverty, which they bore with a grieved spirit; but on a sudden, when they wake, they find how false all the joy was which they felt, and they are sad that they have awoke, in that real want gripes them awake. Thus the minds of hypocrites, whilst what they do is one thing, and what they exhibit to men another, win applause by the mere exhibiting of holy living; in the esteem of men they are set before numbers that are better, and whilst they are highminded with the secret thought within, they exhibit themselves without as humble. And whereas they are excessively commended hymen, they imagine that in the eyes of God also they are such, as they delight to make themselves known to be to their fellow-creatures. H ence it comes to pass that they assume that they will likewise obtain the rewards of eternal life, and they who triumph here V)elow, upon the commendations of their fellow-creatures, doubt not for a moment that they will have rest there; but in the midst of this the secret hour of their call creeps upon them, and while they shut the eyes of the flesh they open those of the spirit, and so soon as they have gotten eternal punishments, they there see, that they were rich in the repute for virtues only in sleep. Well then is it said of such a hypocrite. Yea, he shall he chased away as a vision of ihe night. For this, that he sees himself for a brief space rich in man's esteem, is of the show of a phantasm, not of the ' al-/ of substance of virtue ^ For when his soul wakes up at the dissolution of the flesh, it learns, assuredly, that it was in a sleeping state that it saw the partial regards of men about it. It goes on; The hypocrite' s Jiattercrs f<i it hint. His imitators poor. 177 Ver. 9. The eiie also which saw him shall see him no Book more: neither shall his place any more behold him.
8. What is the ' place' of the hypocrite, saving the heart vii. of his flatterers? For there he rCvSts, where he finds par- tialities towards him. Therefore ' the eye that saw him shall see him no more,' because being removed by death, he is hidden from his foolish lovers, who were wont to behold him, admiring him. ' Neither shall his place any more behold him,' because the tongues of his flatterers do not follow him with their partialities to the Judgment. Yet so long as he lives he does not cease to teach his followers likewise the things that he practises himself; and through the frowardness of his erring way he begets others also in a likeness to that false pretension which he shews forth. Concerning whom it is fitly added in this place, Ver. 10. His children shall he wasted with poverty.
9. It is written, For into a malicious soul wisdom shall viii. not enter; and it is declared by the Psalmist, The rich hare ^ ^^ ' ' lacked and been a hungred. For if their want and hunger Ps. 34, were spoken of outward starving, then surely they would be any thing but rich, who were in want of the bread of the body. But forasmuch as whilst they are increased without, they are rendered void within, they are described as rich and needy at one and the same time, in that they never entitle themselves to be filled with the bread of wisdom. And so the children of this hypocrite are ' worn down with want,' because they that are born in hypocrisy in mimicry of him, whilst they do not hold the substance of truth, are brought to nought in the penury of the heart. And his hands shall repay him his own grief.
10. What is denoted by 'hands,' saving works.? Thus ix. * his hands will repay him grief,' because he will reap just damnation from his wicked course of life. Now it is well said, not ' give,' but * repay,' in that his froward deeds shall pay him back eternal punishment like a kind of debt. But before he is brought to eternal punishment, let him add more fully the sort of character that he shews himself here.
It goes on, His bones shall be fall of the sin of his youth, and shall deep with him in the dust.
N 178 /// habits streitythened by sin, good ones wasted.
Job 20, 11. The origin of a bad beginning by preoccupying further multiplies the causes of sin. For when a man has begun to do evil, by custom he now grows to a worse height X.
in that which he had begun. What then is the ' youth' of this hypocrite, but the beginning of wickedness, since in youth passion now begins to kindle? And the hypocrite then has youth, when he begins to long for and to embrace the passion for glory. Which same, whilst the soft salves of flatterers redouble it, they give strength to, and as it were turn it into bones. For what he begins badly, he is daily strengthening for the worse by custom. Therefore let it be said; His bones shall befall of the sin of his youlJi; in that the ngid habits of evil practices in him are taken from the sin of an ill beginning. Hence it is written in the Proverbs, Prov. The young man according to his own way^ when he is old, ^^' ^' will never depart therefrom. Which same * bones' truly * will sleep with him in the dust,' for so long do evil practices endure in him, until they drag him to the dust of death. Since for his ' bones,' or evil habits, to ' sleep with him in the dust' is for these never to quit him even to the very dust, that is, never to cease from sin even until death. Therefore bad habits, which are once begun, keep hold of him, and daily become more hardened. And they ' sleep with him in the dust,' because they are never ended but with his life. But this may be taken in another sense also. 12. For the hypocrite occasionally has something in practice that is strong and vigorous, but whilst he makes believe to have many good points that he is without, he loses even these which he has. Whence it is well said now; His hones shall be full of the sin of his youth. For whereas in his levity and fickleness he does many things like a child, even in strong ones which he may do he is enervated in sin. Which same ' bones shall sleep with him in the dust,' because as all that hypocrisy which he carries on is dust, so too whatever he has in him that is strong is robbed of all its solidity, so that by pretension to virtue he loses that also which there might have been in him of a virtuous nature. And so for ' his bones' to ' sleep with him in the dust' is even if there be things done well, for them to come to nought together with his evil deeds. It proceeds; What is ' on' the tongue not always what is * under' it. 179 Ver. 12. For when wickedness shall be sweet in his Booic XV mouth, he ivill hide it under his tongite. ^- 13. ' Wickedness is sweet in the mouth' of the hypocrite, xi.
in that evil tastes sweet to him in the thought. For ' the mouth' of the heart is the thought, whereof it is written; Deceitful lips spake evil'' in a double heart. Now the evilP9.i2,2.
that is thus sweet in the mouth of the hypocrite is hidden under the tongue, in that the harshness of an evil disposition, which lies hidden in the mind, is concealed under the cloak of a mild address. For the evil would be on the tongue and not under it, if the hypocrite in speaking disclosed the raischievousness of his froward heart. But as is the case with most of the righteous, when they see any persons acting badly, who deserve to be visited with severe rebukes, they put harshness on the tongue, but under the tongue cover the kindness of their feelings; (whence too it is said to Holy Church by the voice of the Spouse; Honey and milk are Cant. 4, under Thy tongue. For they that shrink from disclosing the sweetness of their inward feeling to the weak, and so in speaking strike them with a degree of harshness, and yet amongst their harsh words secretly as it were let drop a sprinkling of sweetness, these persons clearly have sweetness not on the tongue, but under the tongue, in that amidst the.
hard words vvhich they utter, they give out some that are sweet and softened, whereby the wounded mind may be cheered and refreshed by kindness;) so with the wicked severally, because they have evil not upon the tongue, but under the tongue, in the words of their mouth they hold out sweet things, and in the thoughts of their heart are plotting mischiefs. For it is hence that Joab held the beard of Araasa 2 Sam.
with his right hand, whilst secretly putting his left hand to ' his sword, he shed out his bowels. For to hold the chin with the right hand is to caress as if in kindness. But he puts his left hand to his sword, who in secret strikes in malice. Hence too it is written concerning their head himself; Under his tongue is mischief and pain. For he Pa. 10,7.
that doth not display openly the ill that he designs, does not put forth on the tongue the mischief and pain of those, * The word evil is not in the Vulgate, nor in all copies of LXX, 180 The bread of the wicked iurm: to yall within. Job 20, whose destruction he aims at, but keeps them close under Lit.
the tongue. Now it is rightly added of this hypocrite, Ver. 13. He will spare it, and forsake it not, hut keep it still within his throat. xii. 14. For the evil that he delights in he ^ spares,' because he does not, by practising penance, hunt it down in himself. Whence too it is added; and forsake it not. For if he had the mind to ' forsake,' he would not ' spare' it, but would pursue it closely. Now he ' keeps it within his throat;' because he so retains il in thought, that he never utters it in speech. It goes on; Ver. 14. His bread in his belly shall be turned into the gall of asps within him. xiii. 15. What bread is m the belly, the same is fulness of earthly gratification in the mind. So let the hypocrite now be filled to the full with the praises tendered him, let him revel in honours, ' his bread in his belly is turned into the gall of asps,' because the fulness of transitory enjoyment, in the final Retribution, will be turned to bitterness, in that what here passed for the praise of greatness is discovered to have been ^ the gall of asps,' i. e. the prompting of evil spirits. For the wicked then perceive that they are infected with the venom of the old serpent, when, being delivered over to avenging flames, they are tormented along with that prompter of theirs. And so this * bread' has one sort of taste in the mouth, and another in the belly, in that the joy of transitory pleasure is sweet, while it is tasted here by a chewing of teeth, as it were, but it turns bitter in the belly, because when the joy is past it is swallowed to his ruing.
16. Or indeed forasmuch as bread is not unsuitably taken for the sense of the Holy Scriptures, which refreshes the mind and furnishes it with the sinews of right practice, and the hypocrite generally makes it his object to be well instructed in the mysteries of Holy Writ, not that he may live by them, but that it may appear to the rest of the world how learned he is, his * bread in his bowels is turned into the gall of asps,' in that whilst he boasts of the know- ledge of the Sacred Law, he converts the draught of life into a cup of poison to himself, and dies in a state of reprobation Even the food of God's Word profits not had men. 181 from the same cause, whence he appeared to derive instruc- Book tion unto hte. Nor is this again unhtly taken to be the ' meaning, that while the hypocrite sometimes applies himself to the word of instruction for display, being blinded by God's judgment, he takes in a wrong sense that very word which he seeks in a wrong spirit. But when he falls into heretical error, it is his fate, that as by the ^ gall of asps,' so the unhappy wretch perishes by ' bread;' and in his own self- instruction he finds death, because in the words of life he never sought life. But it often happens that the sentences of divine warning, even if they be understood rightly by the hypocrite, forasmuch as he neglects to observe them in practice, are lost to him even before the course of the present life is at an end, so that it is taken from him to know, what while he knew he refused to practise. Hence it is added; Ver. 15. The riches he hath swallowed down, he shall vomit up, and God shall cast them out of his belly.
17. The hypocrite desires to know the revelations of God, xiv. yet not to practise them. He would speak sagely, but not live so. For this reason, then, that he does not do what he knows, even that which he knows he loses, that forasmuch as he does not unite pure practice with his knowledge, con- temning purity of right practice he loses the knowledge also. Therefore the ' riches' of the Sacred Law, which he ' swal- lowed' in reading, he vomits in forgetting, and God ' casts them out of his belly,' in that what he would not observe to do, by a righteous judgment He roots out of his recol- lection, that at all events he should not keep the precepts of God in the tongue, which he keptnot in his life. Whence it is said by the Prophet; But unto the wicked God saith, What Ps. 60, hast thou to do to declare my statutes^ and that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Which words of instruction if it ever at any time chance that the hypocrite should seem to retain in his mouth until the end, he will be condemned the more on the very grounds, whereon not even a bad man is ever deprived of the good gift of God. For it is written; To those that remember His commandments to do them. Ps. 103, He then that keeps His commandments in mind, but never '^' 18*2 Holy Wril shewn the Bleasiny and Curae from above.
Job 20, docs them, such an one holds in the words of instruction tho — - — '— sentences whereby he is condemned.
Zech. 5, 18. For hence it is written in Zechariah; What seest thou, ^ ^' Zechariah? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. This said he to me; This is the curse that goeth over the face of the whole earth. For every one that stealetit shall be judged as on this side according to it. For what is a ' flying roll' saving Holy Writ, which whilst it tells us of heavenly themes, lifts up the bent of the mind to things on high; for while we see that it is above us, we leave minding, i. e. desiring things below. And it is described as having * a breadth of ten cubits' and a ' length of twenty cubits,' in that the breadth of our practice is single, and the long expectance of hope is extended to double, since in return for our good practice both here there is peace of mind, and there eternal joys in store for us, as Truth bears witness. Who saith; i\-al\9, And every one that hath forsaken houses or lands, SfC. ^*'" shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. For the number one hundred is completed by the number ten multiplied ten times. Thus he gets back an hundredfold"', who, though he has nothing, by the mere perfection of his mind alone, no longer seeks to possess any thing in this world. And in this way, since by this same we have a double measure paid back to us for a single one, that roll is justly drawn out through twenty cubits in length, which is carried out in breadth through ten. But because these very sacred oracles stand for eternal condemnation to those who either will not acquaint themselves with them, or in any wise when made acquainted with them set them at nought, it is rightly said of this roll, This is the curse, which goeth forth over the face of the whole earth. And wherefore it is called a curse is added; For every one that is a thief, as it is therein written, shall he judged. Therefore the hypocrite, as he cares not to live after the words of the law which he knows, and seeks golden opinions by store of instruction, will be ^ a thief to be judged,' since by this, that he speaks just words, he usurps to himself the praise of the *> perhaps ' an hundredfold here^^ (reading Htc.)
Gentler temptations Jirst, violent ones after. 183 just man's life. Concerninyr whom it is still farther added Book nghtly, Ver. 16. He shall suck the head of asps: the vipefs tongue shall slay him.
19. The ^ asp' is a small serpent, but the * viper' hath xr. more length of body. And asps produce eggs, and their young are hatched from the eggs. But when vipers have conceived, their young ravin in their womb, which bursting the parents' sides issue out of their bellies. Hence too it is called the ' viper,' because it is a * * parent by violence.' * ' vi Thus the viper is so produced that it comes forth by violence, ^ and is brought into the world by the killing of the mother. What then is represented by the little asps, saving the hidden suggestions of impure spirits, who steal upon*" the hearts of men by slight prompting at first, and what by the * viper's tongue' save the violent temptation of the devil? For at first he steals upon them gently, but afterwards he drags them even by force. And so he ' sucks the poison of asps,' in that the little beginning of secret suggestion is first pro- duced in the heart, but ' the viper's tongue slayeth him,' in that afterwards the captive soul is killed by the venom of violent temptation. In the first case unclean spirits speak to the heart of man with their crafty counsels, and these, while they persuade with gentleness, as it were infuse the poison of asps. Whence it is written, They break asps' eggs, ig.59 5.
and weave the spider's web; He that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is hatched hreaketh, out into a basi- lisk. Since to ' break asps' eggs,' to wicked men is, to manifest by evil deeds the counsels of evil spirits, which lurk in their hearts. Moreover, to * weave spiders' webs' is, on account of the lust of this world, to be busied in any temporal employments. Which, whilst they are established with no stedfastness, assuredly are carried off by the wind of a mortal life. And it is well added; He that eateth of their eggs dieth. In that he that admits the counsels of impure spirits kills the life of his soul in him. ' And that which is hatched, breaketh out into a basilisk,' in that the suggestion of the bad spirit which is covered up in the heart, is nursed ^ Ben. * surripiunt,' Steal from, but others ' surrepunt.'
184 Man yields iciUinyltj al Jiraly llteti cannot resist.
Job 20, unto full iniquity. For ' basilisk ''' means the king of serpents, J- and who is the head of the sons of perdition, save Antichrist? Therefore ' that, which is hatched, will break out into a basilisk,' in that he who harbours in himself the counsel of the * asp' to nourish them to life, being made a member of tlie wicked head, is engrafted into the body of Antichrist. Of which hypocrite it is said, He shall suck the head of asps, and the viper's tongue shall slay Jtim, in that when he gladly v/elcomes the evil suggestion of our old enemy, afterwards he surrenders himself vanquished to his forcible temptations. Hence too in Paradise, to man when he was standing, he brought in words of soft suggestion, but him whom he once caught away to the act of consent, now henceforth he forces on even resisting him, and conquered by the gi'atifi cations of his corrupt state of being, kills him well nigh by dint of violence. But perhaps we may be able to make out the mean- ing of these same sentences by a contrary mode of inter- pretation. Thus because the ' asp' kills quickly by its venom, but the ' viper' more slowly, by the ' asp' we have denoted a violent and instantaneous temptation, but by the ' viper' a gentle and prolonged one. And hence to the one