things, but do not look for eternal rewards, they seek the thing that is added, and do not want that whereunto it should be added. Nor do they reckon it to be the worth of their prayer, if here they be poor in things temporal, and there live for everlasting rich in blessedness; but having their eyes fixed on visible things alone, as has been said, they refuse to purchase for themselves the invisible by the labour of beseeching it. Who if they but sought objects above, would ply their labour already with fruit, in that when the mind, employed in prayers, pants after the form and fashion^ of its Maker, burning with divine longings, it is^speciem united to that which is above, disjoined from that below, opens itself in the affection of its fervent passion, that it may take in, and while taking in kindles itself: merely to love things above is already to mount on high; and whilst with longing desire, the soul is agape after heavenly objects, in a marvel- lous way it tastes the very thing it longs to get. It goes on; Ver. 16. But because their good things are not in their hand, may their counsel he far from me, 54. He ' holds his good things in his hand,' who in xlviii. despising temporal things, forces them under the dominion of the mind. For whoever loves them over much, subjects himself more to them, than ihem to himself For many of the righteous were rich in this world; sustained by their substance, and by their honour, they seemed to possess many things; yet forasmuch as their mind was not possessed by the excessive enjoyment of these things, which were theirs, * their good things were in their hand,' because they were held subordinate to the authority of the soul. But on the other hand the wicked so discharge themselves with all their hearts in aims at outward things, that they do not themselves so much hold the things possessed, but are hoi den with minds in bondage by the things they possess. Therefore because * their good things are not in their hand,' it is rightly added, let their counsel he far from me. For what is ^ the counsel of the wicked,* saving to seek earthly and neglect eternal glory, to aim at temporal well-being at the cost of interior detriment, and to change away transitory 208 Tlie light of the wicked sometimes put out here.
Job 21, sorrows for eternal woes? Let the holy man, then, regarding l^lll: these aims of the wicked, turn from them and say, Let their ^^' counsel be far from me. Because he sees it to be good beyond comparison, as it is, he had rather for a brief space groan here beneath the rod, than undergo the woes of eternal vengeance. But not even in this life do they, that are bent to make their way prosperous therein, enjoy an uninterrupted course of prosperity. But many times their joys are broken off by groans arising. Whence it is added; Ver. 17. How often shall their candle he put out? and how oft shall a flood come over them, and shall He divide sorrows in His fury? xlix. 55. It often happens that the wicked man reckons the life of his children as a ^ candle,' but when the son, that is loved overmuch, is taken away, what seemed the ' light' of the wicked is ' put out.' Often the wicked man reckons the credit of present honour his ' candle,' but, whilst, his dignity gone, he is cast down from his height, his candle is extin- guished, which shone for him according to his desire. Often the wicked man thinks that the resources of earthly substance are his, like a great candle for light, but when upon ruin falling on him, he loses the riches which he loved more than himself, what else with this man but that he has lost the candle, in the light of which he was rejoicing? And so he that has no wish to rest his joy on the things of Eternity, neither here, where he is minded to establish him- self, can he rejoice uninterruptedly. For as often as the ^ candle of the wicked is put out,' at once there ' cometh a flood upon them, and God divideth sorrows in His fury.' ^ A flood cometh' upon the wicked w^hen they undergo the waves of sorrow from adversity of some kind. For Almighty God, when He sees Himself contemned, and that delight is taken in earthly concupiscence, smites that with woes which He sees is preferred before Himself in the thoughts of the wicked man. Now it is well said, And divideth sorrows in His fury. For He That reserves eternal woes for the wicked man in retribution, and sometimes smites through his soul even here with temporal woe, because both here and there too He smites, ' divideth sorrows in His fury' upon the i The mightiest sinners found as chaff in the Judgment. 209 head of the iingoclly. For neither does present punishment, Book which does not turn the mind of the wicked man from his 1_ bad desires, set him free from eternal chastisements. And hence it is said by the Psahiiist, Upon the wicked He shallFs.u,6. rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and blasts of storms; this shall be a portion of their cup. In mentioning ' snares, fire, and brimstone, and blasts of storms,' he introduced indeed a multitude of woes; but because the sinner that is not amended by them is called to eternal punishments, he con- sequently called these woes no more his whole cup, but ' a portion of his cup,' seeing that their suffering is begun indeed here in woes, but is consummated in everlasting vengeance. Concerning whose end it is yet further added; Ver. 18. They shall be as chaff before the wind, and as ashes that the storm scattereth, 56. When the wicked man is seen in power, when he is 1. utterly without check or restraint in his acts of oppression and violence, by the imaginations of the weak he is accounted too well ballasted, and as rooted in this world. But when the sentence of the strict Judge cometh, ' all the wicked shall be as chaff before the wind,' because, if I may say so, all they are by the sudden blast of wrath lifted and carried to the fire, whom here once in their hasty judgments the tears of the distressed were as unable to move as a superincumbent mass of a stubborn weight. And to the hands of griping Judg- ment those are light, who by injustice were heavy upon their neighbours. And as ashes that the storm scattereth. Before the eyes of Almighty God, the life of the wicked man is ashes, in that though he appear green for a moment, yet is he already seen consumed by His judgment, seeing that he is set aside for everlasting burning. These ashes the storm disperses, in that, God shall come in state, even our God, and Fs.50,3. shall not keep silence. Afire shall devour before Him, and there shall he a mighty tempest round about Him. For by the furiousness of this tempest the wicked are carried away from the sight of the eternal Judge. And those that here had set their mind firm with evil desire, will then appear but ' chafT and ' ashes,' because those persons the storm seizes and transports to eternal punishment. It goes on; VOL. IT. p 2l0 Children hotv punished for father^ 8 sins, and how not.
Job. 21, Vcr. 19. Ood shall lay up for his children Ihe grief of •Y~— their father. And when He repayeth, then he shall know it. 1' * 57. We know that it is written; Visiting the iniquity of Ex. 34, the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's chit- ^* dre7i unto ihe third and fourth generation. And again it is Ezek. written, What mean ye that ye make this a proverb among 18, 2-4. ygy^ conceming the land of Israel, saying. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord, ye shall not have this for a proverb any more in Israel, Behold all soids are 3Iine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Thus in these two sen- tences whereas there is found a dissimilar meaning, the mind of the hearer is instructed, that it should search out with minute care the way of discernment. Since original sin we derive from our parents, and, except by the grace of Baptism we be loosed from it, we bear with us the sins of our very parents, seeing that surely we are still one with them. And so •• He visiteth the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,' when on account of the guilt of the parent, the soul of the offspring is polluted by original sin. And again He does not ' visit the sins of the fathers upon the children,' in that when we are freed from original guilt by Baptism, we no longer own the sins of our fathers, but those which we have ourselves been guilty of. Which however may be un- derstood in another way as well, in that whosoever imitates the wicked ways of a bad father, is bound in his sins also. But whosoever does not follow the wickedness of his parent, is never burthened by his offence. And hence it comes to pass that the bad son of a bad father not only pays for his own sins, which he has added, but the sins of his father as well; seeing that to the evil practices of his father, which he is not ignorant that the Lord is angry with, he is not afraid to add yet further his own wickedness too. And it is meet that he who being liable to a strict Judge does not fear to follow the ways of a wicked parent, should be compelled in this present life to pay for even his parentis misdeeds.
And hence it is there said. The soul of the father is Mine^ and the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it I Sins copied by cfiildren. Punish^nent opens the eyes. 211 shall die. because in the flesh by the sin of the father the Book...XV sons too are sometimes ruined. But now that original sin '— has been done away, they are not bound in the soul by the parent's wickedness. For how is it that little children are very often seized by devils, saving that the flesh of the son is mulcted in punishment of the father? For the bad father is stricken in his own person, and is too stubborn to feel the force of the blow. Very often he is stricken in his children, so as to be more sharply stung, and the sorrow of the father is rendered to the flesh of the children, to the end that the evil heart of the parent may be chastened by inflictions on the children. But when not little children, but such as are now more advanced in years, are stricken by the parent's sin, what else are we given clearly to understand, but that they likewise pay the penalties of those whose deeds they have imitated? And hence it is rightly said. Even unto the third and fourth gene- ration. For whereas it is possible that * even to the third and fourth generation,' children may witness the life of their father, which they copy, vengeance extends even to them, who witnessed what they might mischievously imitate.
58. And because sin shuts the eyes of the ungodly, but punishment opens them wide at the last, it is rightly sub- joined; And when He repay eth, then he shall know it. For the ungodly man knows not the evil things he has done, except when he has already begun to be punished for those same evil deeds. Hence it is said by the Prophet; And the vexation alone shall give understanding to the hearing. For he then ' understands' what he has heard, when he now grieves that he is * vexed' for the neglect of it. Hence it is said by Balaam concerning himself; the man whose eye i^Numb. shut hath said: He hath said which heard the words q/"^^'^*^* God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, which shall fall, and so his eyes shall be opened. For he gave counsel against the children of Israel, but he saw afterwards in punishment what it was he had been guilty of before in sin. Now the Elect, forasmuch as they sec beforehand so that they should not sin, the eyes of these surely are open before their fall. But the wicked man opens his eyes after his fall, because after his sin he now in his own punishment sees that he ought to have avoided that ill which he did. Concerning the knowp2 'il2 Eyes opened at last. Fear of temporal judgments.
Job 21, ledge of which man, at that time useless from henceforth, the — '- — '- words are next introduced; Lit Ver. 20. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. lii. 59. This man, if whilst placed in this life he had been willing to open his eyes to his sin, would not hereafter ' drink of the wrath of the Almighty.' But he that here turns away his eyes from the sight of his guilt, cannot there avoid the sentence of condemnation. But often those that do not fear eternal punishments, at all events on account of temporal chastening are afraid to do what is bad. But there are some that have become so hardened in wickedness that they do not fear to be stricken even in the very things that they love, if only they can accomplish what they have iniquitously planned. Hence it is here added concerning the obduracy of the wicked man, Ver. 21. For what doth it concern him about his house after him? or if the number of his months be halved? liii. 60. Not that we ought so to understand it as that this wicked one, after he is condemned to everlasting punish- ment, shall never think of ' his house,' i. e. of his relations, Luke whom he has left; since ' Truth' tells us by His own lips, that the rich man, who was buried in hell, even in the midst of punishment had care and concern touching his five brethren, whom he had left. For every sinner will turn wise in punishment, who continued foolish in sin, because being now wrung with anguish there, he opens his eyes to reason, which here being devoted to pleasure he kept shut; and under the torturing of punishment it is forced from him to learn wisdom, who here by pride blinding him made himself foolish. Which person, however, his wisdom will then no longer avail, in that here, where he ought to have acted after the dictates of wisdom, he lost the opportunity. For he covets as the sovereign good here to have progeny of his race, to fill his house with servants and with substance, and to live long in this corrupt condition of the flesh. But if perchance any thing has come into his wishes, which however he cannot obtain except with the offending of his Creator, his mind is disturbed for a while, and he considers that, if he does aught here to incur his Creator's being offended, he is Tins fear overcome. God judyeih even Angels. 213 smitten in his house, children, life. But prompted by his Book pride, he directly hardens himself, and whatever infliction he — may feel in his house, or whatever infliction in his life, he minds it nothing, so long as he can accomplish the things he has projected, and whilst he lives, he never ceases to com- pass his pleasures. For see, his house is struck on account of sin; but what does it co7icern him about his house after him? See, for the avenging of his evil doing, the length of life, which he might have had, is shortened; hniwhat does it con- cern him if the number of his months he cut off in the midst? Even in that thing therefore the sinner sets himself stiflly against God, in which Almighty God breaks in pieces his stifliiess; and not even the smiting inflicted brings down the mind, which stubbornness on deliberation hardens in resist- ance to God. And observe how heavy the heinousness of the sin, at once to set before the mind punishment for sin, and yet not even from fear of torment to bend the neck of the heart beneath the yoke of our Maker! But see, when we hear these things said, the question occurs to our mind, why the Almighty and Merciful God permitted the faculty of reason in the human mind to fall into such blindness? But lest any one presume to sift beyond what he ought the hidden judgments of God, it is rightly added; Ver. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing that He jvdgeth those that are high.
61. When in the things, which are done concerning us, liv. we have doubts, we ought to look at others, which are well known to us, and to pacify that murmuring of the thought, which had arisen to us in consequence of our uncertainty. For see, whereas scourges recover the Elect to life, and not even scourges keep the wicked from bad deeds, Almighty God's judgments upon us are very secret and are not unjust. But if we stretch the eye of our mind to the things above, we see by those that touching ourselves we have nought to com- plain of with justice. For Almighty God discerning the merits of Angels, ordained some to abide in eternal light without falling, others, fallen of free will from the standing of their loftiness. He laid low in the vengeance of eternal damnation. By us, then, He doth nothing unjustly. Who judged justly even a nature more refined than ours. So let him say; Shall 214 The end sets right present inequalities.
Job 11. any teach God knowledqef seeinq that He judqeth those that '- are high. For He that doeth wonderful things above our level, it is surely plain that touching ourselves He ordereth all things with knowledge. This then being set first, he adds, where it is the mind of" man is wearied in making research. For it is added; Ver. 23 — 25. One dieth in his full strength, being rich and prosperous. His inwards are full of fatness, and Ids bones are moistened with marrow. And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and hath never any wealth. Iv. 62. These things being so, who may investigate the secrets of Almighty God, to find out wherefore He permits them so to be? Now to the Elect and the Lost, their life indeed is unlike, but the corruption of the flesh in death is no way unlike. Hence it is added; Ver. 2G. And yet they shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
What wonder then if those persons for a moment run a course unlike in the prosperity and adversity of this world, who through the corruption of the flesh "return alike to the earth?
So that life alone is to be thought on, wherein together with the resurrection of the flesh there is the anival at an unlike end of recompensing. For what is ' strength and ease' to the wicked, what ' marrow and riches,' seeing that all is left here in a moment, and There that retribution, which may never be left, is found? For as the mirth of this wicked one passes on to woe, so the woe of the innocent soul in afliiction passes on to joy. So neither ought riches to lift up the soul, nor poverty to disturb it. Hence blessed Job in the midst of hurts in substance receives to the mind no hurts in thoughts; but to them that despise him under the infliction of the rod, he adds rebuking them, saying, Ver. 27, 28. Behold I know your thoughts, and the devices that ye wrongfully imagine against me. For ye say. Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwellings of the wicked? Ivi. 63. For they had imagined him a wicked man, whom they saw, his substance gone, in a temporal way ruined. But the holy man judges them with a lofty review in proportion as Strength and fatness of wicked men here. 215 amidst the losses which he had met with, he was standing Book with undiminished uprightness. For how had his losses '- of substance without Imrt him, who had not lost That Being, Whom he loved within?
64. But this that is said, They shall lie down alike in the Alleg. dust, and the worms shall cover them, if any one wish to take in the way of allegory, we may shortly accomplish* it, if* see what has been already said concerning this bad rich man,Qf^fj^J'' we repeat again. Thus it is said. His inwards are full of^ook. fatness, and his bones are moistened with marrow. For as ^* ^^' * fat' arises from much food, so does pride from abundance of goods, which fattens his mind in his riches, while his spirit is lifted up in his proud behaving. For the pride of the heart is like a kind of richness of fat. Whence, because very many commit sins from abundance, it is said by the Prophet, Their iniquity ha^ come out as it were fro7yiVs.7S^7. fatness. It follows. And his bones are moistened with marrow. The lovers of this life have ' bones' as it were, when in this world they possess the strong stay of dignities. But if in the outward dignity there lack earthly private wealth, as to their judgment they have ' bones' indeed, but ' marrow' in the bones they have not. Whereas then that lover of this world is so stayed up by outward power that he is likewise at the same time stuffed to the full with the inward abundance of his earthly house, it is said. And his bones are moistened with marrow. Or otherwise the ' bones' of the rich man are bad and stubborn practices, but the ' marrow in the bones' are the mere desires of bad living alone, which not even in the satisfying of wickedness are filled to the full. Which marrow as it were moistens the bones, when bad desires keep on their evil habits in the gratification of pleasures.
65. And there are some that in this world have not riches, but long to have, and seek to be exalted, though in this world they are unable to get the thing they desire, and whilst they have no substance or dignity to support them, yet by bad desires conscience declares them guilty in the sight of the interior Judge. For every such person is very often in this accounted distressed, because he cannot be rich and carry himself proudly. Concerning whom it is also added, 216 IVorms of care cover those who lie low in desire.
Job 21, And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and without -— ii — 1 any wealth. Observe from the same cause whence the rich 'man emptily rejoices with a proud heart, another that is poor more emptily sorrows with a proud heart. Now it is rightly added concerning both, And yet they shall lie down together in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. For to ' lie down in the dust' is to close the eyes of the mind in earthly desires; hence it is said to every individual living in Eph. 5, sin, and lying asleep in his wickedness, Awake thou that steepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. But the ' worms' that spring from the flesh cover them alike, in that carnal cares overlay the mind whether of the rich man or of the poor man carrying himself proudly.
For in the things of earth the poor and the rich children of perdition, though they be not sustained by a like share of prosperity, are yet troubled by a like degree of solicitude, in that what the one already possesses with alarm the other longs for with anxiety, and because he is unable to get it he is grieved. So let it be said; They shall lie down together in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. In that though they be not alike lifted up by temporal good things, yet in care of temporal good things they are both alike lulled asleep by insensibility of mind. And the worms cover them together, because whether this one, that he may possess what is coveted, or that one, that he may not lose what is possessed, carnal thoughts overlay both.
Lit. ^Q. But blessed Job, who neither when he had substance was elated, nor when it was taken from him sought it with anxiety, as he was devoured by no thoughts of outward loss, had no ' worms of the heart covering him;' and because he had not sunk his mind in earthly care, he did not ' lie asleep in the dust.' It goes on; Behold I know your thoughts, and I Cov.2^your wrongful sentences against me. As it is written, For ^^' Whatman knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? on what principle is it said here.
Behold I know your thoughts? But the spirit of a man is then unknown to another, when it is not shewn forth either Matt. 7 by words or deeds. For whereas it is written. Wherefore by ^^' their fruits ye shall know them; it is by the thing that is done outwardly that whatever lies concealed within is I Job judges by acts, his Friends by lyiaii's present lot. 217 brought to sight. Whence too it is rightly said by Solomon, ^9^ As in water the faces of beholders shine bright, so the hearts p^^^T" of men are plain to the wise. Again blessed Job, when he 27, 19. declared that he knew the thoughts of his friends who were talking with him, thereupon added, and your unjust sentences against me: that by a thing open to view he might shew he had found out that which lay concealed in them. Hence he adds their very wicked sentences themselves as well, saying, For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling-places of the wicked?