36. The ' tabernacle' of the wicked man is his flesh, in thatxxx. he inhabits it in joyfulness, and, if it were possible, wishes he might never quit it. But the righteous, as they place their delight in the prospect of heavenly rewards, and have their conversation in heaven, while they are still in the flesh are as if they were no longer in the flesh, in that they are not fed with any gratification of the flesh. And hence it is said to some persons; But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Rom. 8, spirit: not that they were not in the flesh, who by the epistles of their master received charges of exhortation; but it is in a manner to be no longer ' in the flesh,' not to own aught connected with the love of fleshly objects. But on the other hand this wicked man, because he set all his delight in a fleshly life, ^ dwelt in the tabernacle' of the flesh. Which very flesh when he shall receive back in the resur- rection, he shall burn along with it delivered over to the fires of hell. Then he longs to be brought out of it; then he seeks, if he might be able, to escape from his torments; then he begins to wish he could get quit of that which he loved: but because he preferred that flesh to God, it is brought to pass by the judgment of God, that by it he is more fully tormented in the fire. Here then he has no mind to leave it, and yet is severed from it, and there he wishes to leave it, and yet is kept in it for punishments. And so for the increase of his torments, he is at once both removed out of o2 196 Both good and had shall testify against the unjust.
Job 20, the body here against his will, and held fast in the body ^— ^ — there when he would not. Therefore because his spirit in torment longs ^ to get rid of the flesh, which it set before itself in loving amiss, and has not the power, it is rightly said here, being left in his tabernacle it shall go ill with him. Of whose accusing it is directly said; Ver. 27. TJie heavens shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him, xxxi. 37. What do we understand by ' the heavens,' but the righteous, and what by ' the earth,' but sinners? And hence in the Lord's prayer we pray; Thy will he done on earth, as it is in heaven, meaning this, that the will of our Creator, in the same way as it is accomplished in all the righteous, may also be fulfilled in all sinners as well. Moreover of the Ps. 19,1. righteous it is said, The heavens declare the glory of God. And to man when he sinned the sentence is pronounced, Earth thou art, and unto earth thou shall return. And so of this ungodly man, when dragged to that awful judgment; * the heavens reveal his iniquity, and the earth rises up against him,' that that man, who here never spared either the good or the bad, should in that tremendous inquest have the life of the righteous and of sinners alike accusing him. And of the two indeed it is worse if a man injure the good rather Ez.24,7. than sinners; and hence it is said by the Prophet, For her blood is in the midst of her: she poured it upon the smoothest rock^; she poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust: by ' the ground' and ' the dust' indeed denoting sinners, but by the ' very smooth rock,' the righteous man, who is not made rough by the hard grazes of sins; and so ' the blood is poured upon the very smooth rock,' when the wickedness of a bloodthirsty mind rages in the afflicting of the righteous soul. While then it is worse unjustly to distress the righteous than the unrighteous, yet it is much worse to hurt the righteous and unrighteous together; and therefore whereas the wicked have injured both the good and the bad alike, in the accusing to damnation, ' the heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him, because he at one and the same time set himself against f So A.B.C.D.— Ben. ' shall long.' XtuTrtr^Uv Sept. s ' Super limpidissiinain petram' V.
' Earth' may mean the secular, ^ Heaven' the religious life. 1 97 those who savoured the things of heaven^ and oppressed Book those who savoured of things below. But it may be that by L_ ' the earth' we have denoted not the sinful and reprobate, but those that being busied in earthly courses, by the help of alms and of tears attain to eternal life. Concerning whom it is said by the Psalmist, when the Lord is proclaimed as coming to Judgment, He shall call to the heavens /rom Ps.50,4. above, and to the earth that He may judge His j)eople. For He ' calls the heavens from above,' when they, who, leaving all that they had, held on the tenour of the heavenly life, are called to sit with Him in judgment, and come with Him as judges; but Hhe earth is called from above,' vvhen they who were tied down to earthly courses of action, yet sought therein for heavenly more than for earthly profit and ad- vantage, to which persons it is said, / was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me. So ' the heaven reveals the wiclveclness' of the hypocrite, and ' the earth rises U23 against him,' in that both they who come in company with God as judges, and they who through the ordeal of the Judgment are set free, become the witnesses of his iniquity. Thus nought of the things he has committed is hidden from sight in the time of condemnation, and if indeed many of his deeds are now concealed from his fellow-creatures by doubledealing, yet in the day of condemnation, whatever there was that lay hidden within him, it is brought to light. Hence it is fitly added; Ver. 28. The shoot of his house shall be disclosed, and he shall be taken away in the day of God's wrath.
38. ' The shoot of his house is disclosed,' when every xxxii. thing bad that sprung up in his consciousness is shewn to view. For now the ' shoot of the hypocrite's house' remains hidden from sight, in that though his practice appears good in the delineation, yet the intent lies hidden. Since it is one thing what he does, and another thing what he has in view. But when, at the coming of the Judge, each man's conscience shall be brought forward for its testimony, (whence it is written. Their thoughts the mean while accusing or e/^^Rom. 2, excicsing one another^ then the * shoot of the hypocrite's ^^' house is herein disclosed,' because the evil design is laid bare in his heart. * And he shall be taken away in the day ] 98 Detection and castiny away, the portion of the wicked.
Job 20, of God's wrath,' in that when the indignation of the Judge ' - is revealed, being given to avenging fires, he is parted from His sight. For he that, whilst he lived, would not tal<e thought of the highest things, being forced down by the weight of his sins, shall fall from the face of the Judge into the depths of punishment. But now the Judge both sees and bears with the sinner in his sins, and because it is the day of forbearance and not as yet the day of fury. He waits for each one for his conversion. Now in this day of for- bearance the hypocrite as it were remains unmoved, whilst he both commits many evil deeds, and is chastised by no scourges; but ' in the day of fury he shall be taken away,' in that being carried off to punishment in the season of vengeance he is cut off from the countenance of the eternal Judge. It goes on; Ver. 29. This is the "portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage of his words from the Lord.
xxxiii. 39^ por if, while placed in this life, he had been minded to act rightly, he would have had for his * portion' with the Lord fellowship in the kingdom of heaven; but because he chose to be subjected to bad desires, his ' portion from the Lord' he found in torment, because he did not seek to obtain a share in the grace of that Lord. But it is well said. And the heritage of his words from the Lord. For he that is immersed in punishment for enormous deeds of wickedness perchance it was thought would never be judged for the words which he had spoken amiss. But when the strict justice of Almighty God exacts punishment from lost sinners for their froward deeds, it renders evil things to them even to the recompensing of their words, that they who are debtors for great transgressions, being consigned to punishment, may pay even the very last farthing. For they are spared the least misdemeanours, who rigorously lamented the greater evils in themselves. And those whom great sins weigh down even the very least alike put to pain in hell. Now holy men desire not to receive a portion from the Lord, but to have the Lord Himself for their portion. Hence the Prophet Rs. 73, prays, saying, God is my portion for ever: but the wicked man, because he sought not to have the Lord Himself for his * portion,' found fire for his * portion' without the Lord, that Joh^ though ivrongedy entreats. He fears not laughter, 1 99 being shut out from His face, because he did not seek to Book find joy in Him, he might be tormented beneath Him.
These things Zophar brought forward in such a way, that by what he spoke against the hypocrite, he might strike a blow against the Ufe of blessed Job, thinking that he who was stricken by the Lord, had not done with a simple heart all the good things which he had done. For him, whom he saw beneath the rod, he supposed to have displeased God. But the friends of blessed Job likewise maintain a likeness of heretics in this particular, in that whilst they see, in Holy Church, some, that live aright, groaning beneath the rod, they reckon that they have not good merit in good deeds, and set them down as bad men, whom they see afflicted with the scourge of God; not knowing, that is to say, that Many pg. 34^ are the afflictions of the righteous, and that He scourgeth^^- every son whom He receiveth. But blessed Job, after theg, * ' manner of the Holy and Universal Church, which bears with patience the darts of words at the hands of the froward, and, when she hears the sayings of the proud, never leaves the pathway of her humility, made answer with great humility of heart, saying, C. xxi. Ver. 2. Hear I pray you my speech, and practise penitence.
40. For he that when he said Hear, added, / pray you, xxxiv. shews how humbly he speaks, whilst he entreats persons, swelling with pride against him, to bring back their thought to the teaching of saving truth. But whereas holy men, within the pale of the Universal Church, are not only ready to teach what is right, but also to undergo things that are done against them, they do not dread being laughed at. Hence it is added; Suffer me that I may speak; and after my words, if it shall seem so, laugh.
41. For when good men speak, there are two points, which xxxv. they regard in their discourse, viz. that they should be of use to themselves and their hearers, or to themselves alone, if they are unable to be of use to their hearers. For when the good things they deliver are heard to good purpose, they benefit both themselves and their hearers; but when they are turned to ridicule by the hearer, doubtless they were of use 200 Job feared he had some way displeased God.
Job 21, to themselves, whom thev made quit of the sin of silence.
Lit.
And so let blessed Job, that he might serve both himself and his hearers, speak the words; Hear I pray you my npeechy and practise repentance. But that he may discharge him- self of the obligation v^hich he owes, even if he is unable to » avail his hearers, he adds, Svfferme that I speak; and after tny word^s^ if it shall seem so, laugh, I observe that whereas he added, and practise repentance, he first premised, Hear, but when he added the words, and after tny words, if it shall seem so, laugh, he premised. Suffer me that I may speak; for ' hearing' is of one who acts of free will, but * bearing' of one who acts against his own inclination. And so if his friends desire to be taught, let them ' hear,' but if they are ready to mock, let them ' suffer' the things that are said; seeing that to a proud mind, instruction in humility is a grievous and onerous weight.. It goes on; Ver. 4. As for me, is my dispute against man, that I should not he justly sad f xxxvi. 42. Whosoever in pleasing God displeases man, has no grounds for sadness. But he, who in pleasing man dis- pleases God, or thinks that he displeases both God and man together, if sadness does not come upon him, proves a stranger to the excellency of wisdom. Now blessed Job believed that he had displeased God in the midst of his strokes, and therefore he called back his mind to sadness, in that He was not to be disregarded, Whom he was afraid that he had displeased. Now, if he had been pleading against man concerning the merits of his life, he would have had no occasion to feel sadness, but seeing that by his present strokes he was made doubtful of his past life, he justly sought for sadness under the scourge. Hence too it is added; Ver. 5. Mark me, and he astonished.
xxxvii. 43. i. e. Consider what 1 have done, and be astonished at the things that I undergo under this infliction of the rod. And he yet further rightly introduces the words; And lay your finger upon your mouth. As if he had said in plain speech; ^ Knowing the good things that I have done and seeing the ills that I am subjected to, your own selves keep even from offence in words, and in my strokes dread your own hurts.' Or indeed seeing that Job's fear of sin. The wicked sometimes prosperous. 201 by our fingers we distinguish things severally, discretion is not Book unfitly represented by the fingers; and hence it is said by the - — * Psalmist, Blessed be the Lord my God, Which teacheth???,// Ps. 144, hands io war, and my fingers to fight; i. e. by the * hands' denoting practice, and by the * fingers,' discretion. And so the finger is laid to the mouth, when the tongue is bridled by discretion, that by what it utters, it may not fall into the sin of foolishness. And therefore he says, Lay your finger upon your mouth; i. e. 'join the virtue of discretion to your speech, that in those things which ye say right against the hypocrite, ye may see to what persons they are proper to be said.' It goes on; Ver. 6. Even when / remember L am afraid, and irem- bling taketh hold of my flesh.
44. That blessed Job was not forgetful of his deeds, thexxxviii. last utterance of his lips proves. Wherefore this which he now says to his friends. Even when / remember J am afraid, and trembling taketh hold of my flesh, must clearly be said in mockery. As if it were in plain words; * If I remember that I have had any thing of the hypocrite in me, directly 1 tremble in tears of penitence.' And * if he remem- bered, his flesh was shaken with trembling' he declares, i. e. that the weakness of practice was disheartened by the dread of vengeance. But as Zophar said many things about the sudden condemnation of the wicked man, whereby he snapped at the powerful estate of blessed Job, the holy man subjoins in answer to his words, saying, Ver. 7. Wherefore do the wicked live, are lifted up, and strengthened by riches?
45. For except the patience of God bore with them, theyxxxix. would never live long in their sins. For they are ' lifted up by riches,' when they first begin to be povverful, but they are * strengthened,' when they are permitted to continue long in this life. Since those whose substance uplifts them, length of days strengthens in the pride of their power. Or surely they are said to be lifted up and strengthened, in that they are ' lifted up' by honours, ' strengthened' by substance. But there are very many, who while they are both * lifted up' by honours and * strengthened' by riches, are vouchsafed the things which they covet in this life, but deprived of the 202 The wicked favoured with children as well as wealth.
Job 21, succession of children. To these their very power is punish- —^ — -* ment, when they see themselves possessed of a large inhe- ritance, but not possessed of heirs to whom they may leave it. What good then, if every thing be forthcoming, but children be wanting who may become their heirs? It pro- ceeds; Ver. 8. Their seed is established in their sight with them. xl. 46. For the increase of exceeding happiness, together with a large patrimony, they have heirs too given them; and that no unavoidable temporal circumstance either may re- move from their eyes those in whom their soul delights, it is said of this seed of theirs. Their seed is established in their sight. But what if children are vouchsafed, yet the children themselves stricken with barrenness? The family is made extinct in them, in like sort as it was feared it would be made extinct by the barrenness of their parents. It goes on; And a crowd of kinsfolk and grandchildren before their eyes.
Observe, life is theirs, honours and riches are theirs, children are theirs, grandchildren are theirs. What if any secret fancy gall the mind, and domestic discord pierce the joys of their security? What is the prosperity of this world, if it be not joyful? It goes on; Ver. 9. Their houses are secure and at peace, neither is the rod of God upon them. xli, 47. Their ' houses are secure and at peace,' in that they live on committing sin, they do things to be mourned over, and they never leave their joys. And the * rod' of discipline from Above * does not smite them,' and they go on the more unrestrainedly in sin, in proportion as they are punished less for sin. But as we have heard the things, which go prosper- ously within, what prosperity smiles on them in the field too, let us see. It goes on; Ver. 10. Their ox conceiveth, andfaileth not; their cow calveth, and loseth not her calf. » ' boa' It is the usage of common talk to call * ox^' masculine, and * cow' feminine, but literary phraseology designates ' ox' of the common gender. Hence it is now said, Their ox con- ceivethy andfaileth not; their cow calveth, and loseth not her calf. For to the owner of flocks, the first good fortune is Death ends their joyous estate in a point of time. 203 that the flocks being free from barrenness conceive, next that Book the conception come to the birth, and the third that the - thing which is produced be by nomishment reared to a growth. And so in order to shew that the wicked had them all together, blessed Job declares that ^ their flocks had conceived and not miscarried, that they had brought forth and were not deprived of their own offspring.' But it is inferior good fortune, if whilst the flocks increase, the keepers of them do not thrive at the same time. And hence to the fruitfulness of the flocks we have the fruitfulness of their household^ made to succeed immediately. For it is said, ' ' fami- Ver. 11. Their little ones go forth like flocks^ and their children revel in sports.
48. That as there are greater stores bestowed on them xlii. to have the possession of, so great numbers may spring up to keep them safe. But whereas he said, revel in sports, lest we should imagine that the mere sport of the children in the house of the wicked by itself was too mean and poor, he adds, saying; Ver. 12. They take the timhrelf and harp, and rejoice at the noise of the organ.
As if he said in plain speech; ' Whilst the masters swell with honours and substance, the dependants rejoice in festive sports.' But, O blessed man, wherefore dost thou tell us all these many things of the delights of the wicked? It is now a long time that thou runnest on in the description of them; after much said, in one word point out what thou thinkest. It goes on; Ver. 13. TJiey spend their days in wealth, and in a point of time go down to the lower parts.
49. Yes, O blessed man, thou hadst for long dilated on xliii. their joys, how dost thou now declare that * in a point of time they go down to the lower parts,' saving that all length of time of the present life is then known to be but a * point,' when it is cut short by the end } For when a person is brought to the last end, he no longer keeps aught of the past, seeing tliat all the periods of time have elapsed, he has nought in the future, in that there remain not to him the moments of a single hour. So the life, which could be thus narrowed, was [but a * point' of time. For as we have before said, we set 204 Bad men, unpunished here, choose not to know God. Job 21, down the style in a point, and lift it up; and so he as it were Lit.
* - touched life by a point who received and lost it. By a ' point' it is possible that this also may be understood, that it often happens that they that were long borne with m wickedness, are seized by sudden death, that it should not even be granted them to bewail before death the things they have done wrong, but seeing that occasionally the life of the righteous also is cut short by a sudden end, we shall under- stand it better, if we take the words of their temporal life, in that whatever was capable of passing away was sudden. But the friends of blessed Job, who believed him to be unrighteous on this account that they saw him afflicted with scourges, rightly have the truth shewn them by the voice of that holy man concerning the blooming and ruin of the wicked, in that prosperity in the present life is no witness to innocency, since many are brought back to everlasting life by scourges, and very many die without a scourge to be dragged to infinite woes. Of whom it is yet further added; Ver. 14. Who say unto God, Depart from us.
xliv. 50. To say this in words even foolish men have not the boldness, yet all wicked persons say to God, not by their words but by their ways, Depart from us. For they that do those things which Almighty God forbids, what else are they doing but shutting up their soul against the Almighty. For just as to think of His precepts, is to introduce Him into one's self, so to resist His commandments is to keep Him away from the dwelling-place of the heart. And so they say, Depart from us, who refuse to yield Him an approach to them; and assail Him with wicked deeds, even if they seem to praise Him in words. Moreover they say; For we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. xlv. 51. And that by this alone, that they are too indifferent to acquire the knowledge of Him. For there be some who Lukei2, from this that ' Truth' saith; And that servant, which knoweth ' not his Lord's will, and doth things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. But he that knoweth his Lord's will^ and did not according to it, shall he beaten with many; choose not to know what they should do, and reckon as if they will be beaten less, if they are ignorant of what they ought to have put in practice. Yet it is one thing not to Willing ignorance punished. God unseen by carnal eyes, 205 have known, and another thmg not to have chosen to know. Book For he knoweth not, who is willing to make the acquisition, -~ but is not able. But he who, that he may not know, turns away his ear from the voice of truth, such a person is brought in, not one in ignorance, but a despiser. Now ' the way' of God is peace, * the way' of God is humility, ' the way' of God is patience. But whilst the wicked disregard all these, they say, We desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. For whilst they are big with pride in this life, whilst they are swollen with honours, whilst, even if they have not, they covet, they slight ' the ways' of God in the thoughts of their hearts. For because God's way in this world was humility, this very Lord and God, the Redeemer of us men, came to reproaches, to mockery, to the Passion; and He underwent the adverse treatment of this world with patience, resolutely eschewed its good fortune, that He might both teach the prosperity of the eternal life to be aimed at, and the adversities of the present life not to be dreaded. But because the wicked covet the glory of the present life, and eschew disgrace, they are described as saying, We desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. For they are unwilling to know, what they scorn to do. Whose words are further continued, where it is said; Ver. 15. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
52. For the mind of man being miserably discharged xlvi.
without, is so dissipated in things corporeal, as neither to return to itself within, nor to be able to think of Him, Who is invisible. Thus carnal men setting at nought spiritual commands, because they do not see God with bodily sight, one time or another come to this pass, that they even imagine Him not to be. Hence it is written, The fool hath said inVn.u,!.
his heart, There is no God. Whence also it is said now.
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? For it very often happens that men m^ke it more their aim to serve their fellow-creatures, whom they see with bodily sight, than to serve God, Whom they do not see. For in all that they do, they stretch towards the reach of their eyes, and because they cannot stretch the eyes of the body to God, they either scorn to pay Him homage, or if they begin they grow wearied. For, as has been said, they do not be- I 206 The soul better than the body. Ileal good scorned by the carnal.
JoB2i,lieve Him to be, Wliom they do not behold with bodily ^^' sight. These, did they but seek God the Author of all things in a spirit of humility, would in themselves ex- perience that a thing which is not seen is better than an object which is seen. For they themselves subsist in being by virtue of an invisible soul and a visible body; but if that which is not seen be withdrawn from them, at once that perishes which is seen. And the eyes of the body indeed are open, but they cannot see or perceive any thing. For the sense of sight is gone, because the indweller has quitted, and the house of the flesh remains empty, since that invisible spirit has departed which was wont to look through its windows. Therefore that invisible things are better than visible ones, all carnal persons ought severally to conclude from themselves, and by this ladder of reflection (so to speak) to mount towards God, seeing that He is even herein that He continues invisible, and continues supreme in proportion as He can never be comprehended. But there are some, who do not doubt either that God is, or that He is incomprehensible, who notwithstanding seek from Him not Himself, but His external gifts. And when they see that these are wanting to those that obey Him, they scorn to obey Him themselves. In relation to whose words it is further added; And what projit should we have, if we pray unto Him?
xlvii. 53. When, in praying, God is not the object we seek, the mind is soon wearied in praying, in that when a man asks those things, which it may be that God of His secret counsel refuses to bestow. He is Himself brought into loathing. Who will not give the thing which is loved. Now the Lord desires that He may be loved Himself, more than the things which He has made, and that things eternal should be Matt. 6, rather prayed for than temporal ones; as it is written, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness y and all these things shall be added unto you. For in that He saith not, ' shall be given,' but shall be added unto you, he plainly shews that what is given as principal is one thing, and what is added over and above, another. For whereas to us the eternal world ought to be in the thought and intent, but the world of time in the use, both the one is ' given' and the Vain pursuits. Bad men not masters of their good things. 207 otlier * added' over and above in superabundance. And yet Book it very often happens, that when men pray for temporal good '—