4. For he knows that the devil, though he is ever aiming at the afflicting of the just, yet if he do not receive the power from our Maker is not empowered in the least degree for any tittle of temptation. And hence all the devil's will is unjust, and yet whilst God permits it, all his power is just. For of himself he does unjustly seek to try men indifferently, but those that require to be tempted, in so far as they require to be tried, God does not permit to be tried otherwise than justly. Whence also in the Books of the Kings it is written of the devil, That the evil spirit of the Lord came upon^^^^- Saul. Where the question justly occurs, ' If it was the Spirit of the Lord, why should it be called an evil spirit? and if an evil spirit, why the Lord's?' But in two words there is comprehended at once the just power and the unjust will in the devil. For both he himself is called an evil spirit in respect of a most evil will, and the same spirit is called the Lord's spirit in respect of the most just power bestowed on him. And so it is well said; God liveth, Who hath taken atvay iny judgment; and the Almighty, Who hath brought my soul to bitterness. For though the enemy rage furiously, who longs to deal the blow, yet it is the Creator, Who permits him to have power for any thing. But forasmuch as the holy man by invoking the life of God bound himself to somewhat, let us hear what in so obliging himself he subjoins It follows; Ver. 8, 4. All the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips shall not speak iniquity, nor my tongue meditate falsehood.
5. What he first calls 'iniquity,' this repeating afterwards iii. he calls ' falsehood.' For both all ' falsehood' is ' iniquity,' and all ' iniquity' ' falsehood,' because, whatever thing is at variance with truth is surely at odds with equity. But between this which he expresses, ' to speak' and that which he adds afterwards, to ' meditate,' there is a wide difference. For sometimes it is a worse thing to ' meditate"* falsehood than to speak it. For to speak is very frequently a matter of pre- 320 All lying is wrong, and mars even a good purpose.
Job 27, cipitation, but to * meditate' of purposed wickedness. And who could be ignorant by what great difference the sin is Lit distinguished, whether a man tell a lie by precipitation or of set purpose? But the holy man, to be entirely, attached to the truth, tells that he would neither lie of set purpose, nor by precipitation. For all lying is very seriously to be guarded against, though sometimes there is a certain sort of lying which is of lighter complexion, if a man lie in rendering Wisd. good **• But seeing that it is written, The mouth thai belietJt ^'^^' slayeth the soul. And, Thou shall destroy all thetn that speak leasing. This kind of lying also those that are perfect eschew with the greatest care, so that not even the life of any man should by deceit of theirs be defended, lest they hurt their own souls, whilst they busy themselves to give life to another's flesh; though the same particular kind of sin we believe to be very easily remitted. For if any sin is by godly practice ensuing after to be done away, how much more is this easily wiped off, which pitifulness, the mother of good works, herself accompanies?
6. But there are some that from the deceit of the midwives endeavour to establish that this species of lying is not sin, chiefly because, upon those midwives lying, it is written, Exod. That the Lord made them houses. By which mode of ' * recompensing it is rather learnt what the offence of lying earns; for the profits of their kindness which might have been repaid them in everlasting life, on account of the sin of lying mixing in are diverted into an earthly recompense, that in their own life, which they were ready to defend by lying, they should receive back the good which they did, and not have any reward of their recompensing, that they might look forward to beyond. For if the thing be weighed with exact- ness, it was from the love of the present life they lied, not from the being bent on the recompense; for by the act of sparing, they endeavoured to protect the life of the infants; but by the act of lying, their own life.
7. And though in the Old Testament a few such cases may possibly be discovered, yet almost on no occasion will ^ Edd. ' Vitam prsestando,' but most passage is quoted in Grat. Deer. Caus.
Mss. only ' praestando.' Ben. quotes 22. q. 2. c. 16. see also St. Isidore Sent.
St. Isidore, Synon. ii. 53. de Mend, as ii. c. 30. §. 10. St. Aug. on Ps. v. 7.
using the word thus, and notes that this takes the same view.
The Gospel stricter than the Law. Job's honest Jirmness. 321 the attentive reader there find this or a like kind of lying Book practised by those that were perfect, although the lie might 5ZZH.* seem to bear some sort of semblance of truth; and perchance it might be an. offence of a lighter complexion under the Old Testament, wherein by victims of bulls and goats, the sacrifice was not the very Truth itself, but a shadow of the truth. For in the New Testament, after Truth has been manifested by flesh, we are advanced by a higher scale of precepts, and it is meet and right that certain actions which in that People were instrumental to a shadow of the Truth, we should give over. But if there be any man, who would defend his lying by the Old Testament, because there perhaps it was less detrimental to particular persons, he must needs be compelled to say that the robbing of another's property, and the retaliation of an injury, which were there allowed to those in a weak state, cannot be injurious to himself. All of which it is plain to all men with what severe strictures Truth doth visit. Which ' Truth' now henceforth, the shadow of the betokenment of Him set aside, is brought to light in very flesh. But as the holy man gives his word neither to ' speak' nor ' meditate falsehood,' these actual particulars, wherein he agrees with the truth, he subjoins, carrying it on; Ver. 5. God forbid that I should Justify you; till I die, I will not depart from mine innocency.
8. For he would * depart from his innocency,' if he reckoned iv. good things of bad persons; as Solomon bears witness, who saith, He that Justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth'Proy.n, the Just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. For there are persons, who, whilst they extol with commendation deeds of men ill done, heighten that which they ought to have rebuked. For hence it is said by the Prophet, Woe to Ez. is, those that sew pillows under every elbow of the hand, and make cushions under the head of every age. For a ' pillow' is put for this, that we may rest the easier. Therefore whoever flatters persons doing wrongly is putting a pillow under the head or the elbow of one lying, so that the man that should have been chidden on account of sin, being stayed up therein by commendations, should rest at his ease. Hence again it is written, And one built up a wall, and, lo,\h. lo.
VOL. II. Y 322 Job feared to speak wrongly ^ having a clear conscience.
Job 27, others daubed it. For by the term of * a wall,' the hardness ^FT-' — of sin is denoted. And so ' to build up a wall' is for a man Hist. ^ to rear against himself barriers of sin; but they ' daub the wall,' who flatter those that commit sins, that what the first by doing wickedly build, those same persons by spreading their flatteries should as it were make of bright colour. But the holy man, as he does not think what is bad of the good, so he refuses to judge what is good of the bad; saying, God forbid that I should Judge you Just: till I die, I will not depart from mine innocency. Where he subjoins in plain words; Ver. 6. My righteousness, which I began to hold fast, I will not abandon.
For ' his righteousness' that he had ' begun with,' he would ' abandon,' if he went out of the way into the praising of persons committing sin. But because we then more tiTily keep away from the sins of others when we first keep ourselves safe from our own, why he is so afraid to be guilty touching those, he gives the grounds of the principle, when he adds; For neither doth mine heart reproach me in all my life. V. 9. As if he expressed himself in plain words; ' On your account I ought not to be drawn into guilt, in that I have dreaded to commit sin in my own affairs.' But it is a thing to be known, that every one that is at variance with the precepts of the Lord in practice, as often as he hears them, is reproached and confounded by his own heart, because that which he has never done is brought to recollection. For whereinsoever it sees itself to have done amiss, the conscience by itself secretly accuses self Whence the Ps. 119, prophet David beseeches, saying, Then may I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments. For greatly ' ashamed' is every man, when either by reading or hearing them he turns his eye to the precepts of God, which by his way of living he has disregarded. Thus it is 1 John hence declared by the voice of John, // our heart condem,n ^ ' ' us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him. As if he said in plain speech, ' If that He bids, we do, that we ask, we shall obtain.'
10. For with God both these two do of necessity match with one another exactly, that practice should be sustained Bad thoughts resisted are sin, but?iot wllfiil shi. 323 by prayer, and prayer by practice. Thus it is hence that Boorc Jeremiah saitli; Let us search and try our ways, and turn ^ -* again to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands ah. 41. unto Qod in the heavens. For to * search our ways' is to sift what is inmost in the thoughts. But he * lifts up his heart with his hands,' who strengthens his prayer by good works. For he that prays, but shuts his eyes to practice, ' lifts up the heart,' but does not ' lift up the hands.' But whosoever practises, but does not pray, * lifts up the hands,' but does not ' lift up the heart.' And so according to the voice of John, the heart then acquires confidence in prayer, when no wickedness of life withstands it. Of which same confidence it is rightly said now by the holy man; For neither doth mine heart reproach me in all my life. As though he said in plain speech, ' It never remembers to have been guilty of that, whereby it might be made ashamed in its prayers.' But it may be asked, on what principle he declares that he is not reproached by his heart, seeing that he accuses himself above of having sinned, saying, / have sinned: Job 7, what shall I do unto Thee, O Thou Preserver of men? Or ^ * surely, If I would justify myself, mine own mouth shall 9, 20. condemn me.
11. But it is requisite to be known that there are sins that by righteous men are possible to be avoided, and there are some sins which even by righteous men are not possible to be avoided. For what man's heart, whilst bound up with this corruptible flesh, does not slip in ill bent thought, even if he be not plunged into the very pit of consenting? And yet to think these same wrong thoughts is to commit sin. But while there is a resisting of the thought, the soul is freed from being confounded. And so the mind of the righteous, though it be free from bad practice, yet sometimes it falls to the ground in bad thinking. Thus then into sin too it slips, because in the thought of the heart at all events it is made to swerve, and yet it hath not that whereon to upbraid itself afterwards in weeping, because it recovers itself before that it falls by consenting. And so with just propriety he who confessed himself a sinner, declares that he is never upbraided by his heart, because though perhaps by thinking unlawful thoughts he ever fell short of righteousness, yet by the 324 Enemies of Holy Church within and without her pate.
Job 27, resolute struggle of the soul, he resisted the thought. It ^1^ follows; Ver. 7. Let mine enemy be like the imyodly, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. vi. 12. In Holy Writ, the words * like as' and * as if are sometimes put not for a likeness, but for the reality. Whence John 1, we have that; And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father. And thus here also ' like,' and *as' seem to be said rather for the sake of affirmation than similitude. Now between the ungodly and the wicked man there is wont to be this difference sometimes, that every ungodly man is unrighteous, but not every unrighteous man ungodly. For the ^ ungodly' is put instead of unbeliever, i. e. a stranger to the godliness of religion. But a man is called unrighteous, who by wrongness of practice is at variance with righteousness, even if he does perhaps bear the name of the Christian Faith. Therefore by the typical voice of blessed Job, Holy Church, which is subject to some gainsaying the right Faith, avouches that she has an * ungodly man her enemy.* But because she has to bear others under the cloke of the faith within her pale living in bad practices, she abhors the ' unrighteous' man as being her adversary. But if * like' and * as' it is right we should understand as put on account of ' likeness,' Holy Church brands by a likeness to the ungodly those whom she is subject to living in a carnal manner within her pale. For within her bounds he is an enemy to i her, who whilst he maintains himself a believer by pro- ■ fessions, denies it by practices. And because he accounts him as an unbeliever, who, whilst set within her pale in sem- blance, only assails her with mischief of evil doing, he rightly says, Mine enemy is like the ungodly, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. As though he said in plain speech; * He is at variance with me in faith as well, who does not agree with me in practice.' It follows; Ver. 8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, if lie seize with covetousness, and God free not his soul? vii. 13. The hypocrite, who in the Latin language is termed 1 simu- pretender^, aims not to be but to appear just, and therefore he is a covetous robber, because whereas while doing wick- edly he desires to be revered for sanctity, he seizes on the Hypocrites court praise, Saints dislike it. 325 praise of a life not his own. But it is said to be the aim of Book hypocrites, that both what they are they may keep back, and ■* what they are not they may make themselves known to men as being; so that they should surpass their own measure in esteem, and by credit for conduct shew themselves to excel the rest of the world. They eschew the seeming to be that which they are, and before the eyes of men they clothe themselves with a kind of overlaid respectability of innocency. Hence in the Gospel they are rightly upbraided by the voice of our Redeemer, when the words are spoken to them, fFo^Mat.23, luito you, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear to men beautiful outward, hut are within full of dead men's bones, and of all un cleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of covetousness and iniquity. Contra- riwise all that are Saints really not only do not ever at all covet glory that is beyond their measure, but do also eschew appearing that very thing, which they have obtained to be. And hence that great Preacher of truth, in speaking against the false apostles; while he was relating the extraordinary excellences of his practice for the instruction of his disciples; whilst he was describing that he had undergone such count- less perils in accumulated persecution, and after this made, mention of his having been carried up to the third heaven, and into Paradise again, where he had power to learn things so great, as he had not power in any degree to tell; was on the point perhaps of telling things still more marvellous of himself, yet holding himself in from human applause by deep reflecting he adds, But now 1 spare, lest any?nan 2 Cor. should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or ' ' that he heareth of me. He then had somewhat yet further to be declared concerning himself, who ^ forbears' to speak. But the great Preacher did both, that both by telling the things which he had done he might instruct his disciples, and by being silent keep himself safe within the bounds of humility. For he would have been over ungracious, if he had withheld all relating to himself from the disciples; and perhaps incautious over much, if even to the disciples he had uttered all about himself. But in a wonderful way, as has been said, he did both the one and the other, so that by 326 Sainls tell good of Ihemaelvea^ as God, for other h^ good.
Job 27, speaking he might instruct the life of those that heard him, ' and by holding his peace preserve his own.
14. Now it deserves to be known, that holy men as often as they communicate any thing concerning themselves to their followers, are imitating the custom of their Creator. For God, Who forbids us that we never be commended by our own lips, in Holy Writ does utter His own praises; not that He Himself needs them. Who cannot be a gainer by praises; but whilst He relates to us His greatness. He lifts up our ignorance to Himself, and by telling His own good He teaches us; whereas man would never know Him, if He had been minded to be silent about Himself. And so He for this reason shews His own praises, that we may be able by hearing to know, by knowing to love, by loving to follow, by following to obtain, and by obtaining to enjoy the vision Ps. Ill, of Him. Whence the Psalmist saith. He will tell the people the power of His works, and that He may give them the heritage of the heathen. As if he expressed himself in plain terms; ' For this reason He tells the mightiness of His doing, that he that heareth thereof may be enriched with His gifts.' Therefore holy men, imitating the way of their Creator, sometimes reveal things that concern themselves, that those who hear them they may instruct, not that they may themselves be gainers, and yet in these things they keep guard over them- selves by bethinking themselves deeply, lest whilst they lift up others from an earthward bent, they should themselves be sunk in the coveting of earthly applause. Whose state- ments hypocrites for the most part follow, but the meaning of their statements they are wholly blind to, because what the righteous do with a view to the advantaging of their neighbour, this these same do with a view to the extending of their own name. But the holy man beholding that hypocrites seek not at all after future glory, but desire to possess themselves of present glory, says. What is the hope of the hypocrite? in that while he loves the present things, Rom. 8, he hopes not for the future. For it is written. For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? And so for this reason there is on the part of the hypocrite no advancing in any degree to the eternal rewards by hope, because that which required to be sought elsewhere, he makes it his pride to God will not hear at last those who hear not Him now. 327 have in possession here. And because his offence was set Book forth, the punishment too is subjoined, when it is forthwith * brought in next; Will God hear his cry^ 7vhen trouble comet h upon him?
15. ' His ciy in the time of his straits God heareth not,* viii. because in the time of tranquilhty he did not himself hear the Lord crying in His precepts. For it is written; He Prov. that turneth away his ear frotn hearing tJie law, even his ' prayer shall be abomination. And so the holy man seeing that all they that are indifferent to practise what is right now, in the time at the end betake themselves to words of beseeching, saith; Will God hear his cry? By which words assuredly he follows close upon the words of our Redeemer, Who saith. Last of all come the foolish virgins also, Matt. saying. Lord, Lord, open to us. And it is answered ' them. Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Because great severity is exercised then, in proportion as now greater mercy is prolonged ^ and He does then with strictness put^al. forth judgment upon persons not corrected. Who nowbefore- patiently bestows pity upon them going on transgressing. ^^°^ For hence it is the Prophet saith. Seek ye the Lord, while^^'^^i^- He may be found; call ye upon Him, while He is near. Now He is not seen, and ' is near,' then He shall be seen, and shall not ' be near.' He hath not yet appeared in judgment, and if He be sought, He is found. For in a won- derful way, when He appeareth in judgment He is at once able to be seen, and unable to be found. Hence Solomon describes Wisdom at once caressing sweetly, and judging dreadfully, saying, Wisdom crieth without; she utiereth Prov.i, her voice in the streets. Whose language he also tells, ~ adding. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and fools delight in their own harm, and silly ones hate know- ledge? Turn you at my reproof Behold, 1 will pour out my Spirit unto you: 1 will make known my words unto you. Mark with what kind of words her sweetness in call- ing is expressed. Let us see now in what ways her severity in upbraiding is told, that in the end sooner or later her strictness in punishing may have free scope. Because I have calledy and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand; and 328 Love of the world excludes delight in God.
Job 27,^0 man regarded; hut ye have set at nought all my counsel^ 1_ and would none of my reproof. Let her now say how she will smite those, whom she bears with so much longsuff'ering, never turning back to her: / also will laugh at your destruc- tion^ I will tnock when your fear cometh, when sudden calamity falleth on you^ and your destruction riseth as a whirhvind; v)hen distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall rise up early, but they shall not find me. By the mouth of Solomon then, the wisest of men, all particulars are carefully set forth relating to the Judgment from Above: because she both at first calls us sweetly, and afterwards upbraids us terribly, and at the last condemns us irretrievably. And so it is well said; Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Surely because the hypocrite then findeth not a remedy in crying, who now lets slip the fitting opportunity of crying. Concerning whose wickedness it is yet further added; Ver. 10. Or will he he ahle to delight himself in the Almighty f ix. 16. For he that is overcome by the love of earthly things, in no degree delights himself in God. The soul indeed can never exist without its delight, for it delights itself either in things below or in things above, and in proportion as it is employed with higher devotion towards those above, it grows deadened with the greater loathing tow^ards those below, and as it glows with a keener interest for those below, it cools in proportion with an accursed insensibility fi'om those above. For both cannot possibly be loved together and alike. Hence the Apostle John, well knowing that amongst the thorns of worldly attachments the crop of heavenly charity can never shoot, before he produces the seeds of the love eternal, with the holy hand of the word eradicates from the hearts of his hearers the thorns of worldly 1 John affections, in the words. Love not the world, neither the ^> ^^' things that are in the world. And he directly subjoins, Lf any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. As if he said in express terms; * Both these loves cannot contain themselves in one and the same heart, nor Bad men call on God in trouble otily. Error refuted, 329 does the crop of charitv from Above shoot in that heart, Book wherein the thonis of gratification down below kill it.' And ■■- he reckons up all the prickles arising from that gratification below, saying, For all that is in the world is the lust of ^A^v. 16. 17. flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. And so the * hypocrite cannot delight himself in God,' because heavenly desires never spring forth in his mind, seeing surely that the thorns of earthly love overlay it. Of whom it is fitly added; Will he always call upon God?
17. For it is then that the hypocrite * calls upon God/ x. when the wretchedness of earthly circumstances wrings him hard. For when in this world he has obtained the carrying out of the good fortune sought for, his Maker, Who vouchsafed him this same good fortune, he asks not for. But because, as we said before, the art of those that teach should be, that in their hearers' minds they should first aim to destroy what is wrong, and afterwards to preach what is right; (lest the hearts that are full of evil things should not contain the good seed of holy preaching, whence it is said to Jeremiah, See, I have this day set thee over the nations andjev. i, over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down and to ^^' destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant. For it is first bidden him that he should pull down, and afterwards that he should build, first to pluck up, and afterwards to plant; because the foundation of rightful truth is not laid, except the edifice of error be first pulled down;) blessed Job after that he had made the case of the Universal Church his answer to the statements of his friends as if in opposition to words of heretics, and that by a manifold rejoinder he had destroyed their pride, describes himself henceforth to teach; that is, that he might be plainly seen in those things which he aclded to plant what is right, but in those that he pre- mised to have plucked up what is wrong. It goes on; / will teach you by the hand of God, that which is with the Almighty; I will not conceal.
18. In such a way does blessed Job speak in his own ^i words as to denote something connected with what relates to 330 Knowledge lakeu pride in turns to condemnation.