Ver. 12 — 15. But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof: neither is it found in the land of them that live pleasantly. The depth saith. It is not with me, and the sea saith. It is not with me. Fine gold shall not be given for it: neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
362 Letter inconsistent vnless taken of Divine Wisdom.
Job 28, 61. It is first to be noted, that two points be proposed "" ' ' to himself, and two he adds making answer. For to this that Lit 2^1 he said above. Where shall wisdom he found^ and where is the place of understanding? he answered in this verse, The depth saith, It is not with me; and the sea saith^ It is not with me. But in answer to that which he had said, 3Ian knoweth not the place thereof; neither is it found in the land of them that live pleasantly; he gave the lower verse, saying, Fi7ie gold shall not be given for it; neither shall silver he weighed for the price thereof. So then he answered to both questions, yet in adding to what he had objected, not in solving it. For when he enquired the place of Wisdom, and then answered below. The depth saith. It is not with me; he pointed out not where it was, but where it was not.
Again when he said that * the price thereof was not known by man,' and rejoined to this below, J^;^^ gold shall not he given for it; he shewed not what was the price of it, but what was not. For it is plain to all that neither can this wisdom of man be held in a place, nor be bought with riches.
But the holy man being full of mystical ideas sends us on for the making out other things, so that we should look for not wisdom created, but Wisdom creating; for except in those words we search the secret depths of allegory, surely those things that follow are utterly deserving of disregard, if they be estimated according to the historical narration alone. For a little afterwards he saith. Gold and glass cannot equal it; and while, as we know, glass is far and incomparably of lower price than gold, wherefore after the name of gold, which is unquestionably a precious metal, by way of unlimited praise did he say that ' glass' too is not equal to wisdom? So by the mere difficulty of the letter, we are forced that we be quicksighted to the mystical sentiments in these words. So then what wisdom is it, the holy man is contemplating, but that of which Paul the Apostle saith, I Cor. \, Christ the Power of Qod, and the Wisdom of God? Con- 24 Prov. 9 cerning which it is written by Solomon; Wisdo7n hath J- builded her house; and of which the Psalmist saith; In 24. wisdom hast Thou made all things. Of this same Wisdom ' man knoweth not the price,' because he findeth nothing worthy of the estimate thereof. Now this price of Wisdom Man did not of himself merit the gift of Wisdom. 363 is not said at once * to be,' and not * to be known,' but as Book for this reason * not to be known,' because it is wanting, in 1 ' that manner of speaking by which a person caught in a strait, when he finds no remedy of succour, is wont to confess that ' what to do he knows not.'
62. So then * not to know the price of this Wisdom,' is to find no meriting of meet practice whereby to obtain it. For we give a price with this object, that instead of it we may possess ourselves of that object which we long after. But what have we given, that vve should deserve to obtain this Wisdom, which is Christ } Since it is by grace we are redeemed. For those works alone by living badly have we given, for which if a just return were reserved, not Christ but punishments would be rendered back*". But man deserved one thing in the way of justice, and obtained another in respect of grace. Let Paul bear witness, before the time that his mind received the seed of unbought truth, with what briars of error he was overlaid. Who ivasi Tim.
before, he says, a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and ' injurious, but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Let him testify for what sort of persons Christ deigned to die. While we were yet sinners, he says, Christ in Rom. 5, due time died for the ungodly. We, then, who on Wisdom's * coming were found ungodly, what title of good practice have we given, whereby we might obtain to receive that Wisdom? ' The price of this Wisdom man knoweth not,' because whoso ^ See 1. ii. on Ezekiel, Horn. vii. fore that the Creator of all things was §. 9. ' One may also by the ' porch' God, but that His Almighty Son was understand ' Faith.' For it is before Incarnate he knew not. For neither the steps and the gate: because we could he have done good works, unless come first to faith, that after by spiritual he had first believed. For it is written, gifts as steps the heavenly life"? entrance (Luke xi. 6.) Without Faith it is may be reached. For not by virtues impossible to please God. He therefore do we come to faith, but by faith we had faith, whose prayers and alms were attain to virtues. For Cornelius the able to please God. But by his good centurion, whose alms before baptism practice he earned (promeruit) that he by the Angel's witnessing received should come to know God perfectly, praise, did not by works come to faith, and believe the Mystery of His Incarbut by faith came unto works. For nation, in order that he might attain even to him by the Angel it is said, to the Sacraments of Baptism. By (Acts X. 4.) Thy prayers and thine faith then he came to works, butby works alms are gone up before God. For if he was completed in faitii.' This seems he had not believed the true God even to give the true notion of that merit of before Baptism, to whom did he pray? ' congruity,' which our xiiith Article Or how had Almighty Gud heard him, implies as belonging to works done by unless he had sought of Himself in good the aid of partial grace and faith works to be perfected? He knew there- before full grace is received.
364 Man merits not (jrace but throuyh (jracefiral (jiven.
Job 28, is separated from brute animals by the understanding faculty of reason, understands that he is not saved by his own merits, IMyst * knows and sees that he had not given any thing of good practice that he might come to faith. For it is as it were to give a price for the obtaining of Wisdom, to anticipate the coming to the knowledge of God by the merchandize of one's conduct.
63. He had learnt that of this Wisdom there is ' no price,' Rom. who said. Who hath first given unto Him, and it shall be ' ' recompensed unto him. again. Hence it is written again, Eph. 2, Por by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Qod. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Hence concerning himself he again 1 Cor. speaks, saying, By the grace of God I am what I am. And ' * as by the inspiration of this same grace, the practices of the parts of virtue are at once engendered in the heart, so that from free will also conduct should follow, which after this life the Eternal Recompensing should answer to, he thereupon added. And His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. But there are those who exult that they are in a sound state by their own powers, and pride themselves that by their own merits going before they have been redeemed, whose declaration, surely, is found to be contradictory to them- selves, because, while they maintain themselves at once ' innocent' and ' redeemed,' this very name of redemption they make null and void in themselves. For every one that is redeemed is doubtless set free from some sort of captivity. Whence then is this said person redeemed, if he was not before captive under sin? It is plain then that he greatly misjudges who judges so. For heavenly grace does not find desert of man, in order to make it come, but after it has come, causes the same; and God, when He comes to the undeserving mind, at once sets it forth to Himself deserving by so coming, and causes therein merit for Him to recompense, whereas He had found only that for Him to punish.
64. It is good herein to recall the eyes of the mind to that robber, who from the jaws of the devil ascended the Cross, and from the Cross mounted to Paradise. Let us behold what sort of person he came to the stock of the Cross, what sort of person he went from the Cross. He came bound The Thief on the Cross, how changed by grace. 365 by his brother's blood, he came bloodstained, but by interior Bqok grace he was changed on the Cross; and he who inflicted -* death upon a brother, of the Lord when dying proclaimed the life, sayinj?. Lord, remember me when Thou comest m/oLuke Thy Kingdom. On the Cross the nails had bound fast his ' hands and feet, and there remained nought in him that punishment left free, but the tongue and the heart. But God inspiring it, he offered all to Him that he found free in himself, so that according to that which is written, he should witli the heart believe unto righteousness, and with Rom. the mouth make confession unto salvation. But that in the ' * hearts of the faithful there are three virtues in a special manner abiding, the Apostle testifies, saying. And now i Cor. abideth faith, hope, charity; all of which the robber being ^^' filled with instantaneous grace both received and kept on the Cross. For he had faith, who believed the Lord was about to reign, when he saw Him dying equally with him- self; he had hope, who begged for admission into His kingdom, saying. Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. Charity also in his death he livingly retained, who at once charged home for his iniquity a brother and fellow robber dying for the like crime, and preached to him the life which he had learnt, saying. Dost Luke not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ^p '^^' And we indeed justly: for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss. He that came such to the Cross by sin, see what he departed from the Cross by grace. He confessed the Lord, Whom he beheld dying along with himself by human frailty, at the time that the Apostles denied Him, Whom they had seen doing miracles by divine power.
65. But they who make out that man is saved by his own powers, fancy that that same confession of man is fi'om the eflScacy of man by himself. Which if it were so, the Psalmist would not say in praise of God, Cojtfession and great doing Ps. \u, are LLis work. So that from Him we receive it to confess^* what is right, by Whom it is granted us to practise what is great also. Therefore because we have not given aught of good practice, whereby we might deserve to be vouchsafed this Wisdom, let it be rightly said, Man knoweth not its 366 PI ensure a of litis life exclude true Wisdotn.
Job 28, price. Inasmuch as lie that henceforth uses reason looks Myst.
down upon himself under the perception of this Wisdom so much the deeper, in proportion as he more truly knows the interior de])th of that Wisdom, so as to see that he has attained to her being unworthy, by the which it is brought to pass without price, that he should be made worthy. Con- cerning which it is well said; Neither is it found in the land of those that live sweetly. xli. QQ. What is denoted in this passage by the title of the ' land,** saving the soul of man? Concerning which the Ps. 143, Psalmist saith, My soul thirsteth after Thee, as a land with- out water. But this wisdom cannot be ^ found iu the land of those that live sweetly;' because the man that is still fed with the pleasures of this life, is severed from the perception of Eternal Wisdom. For if he were truly wise-minded, being banished from the interior delights, he would mourn over that blind estate of his exile, whereinto he has fallen. For Eccl. 1, hence it is said by Solomon; He that addeth knowledge^ addeth "pain also. For the more a man begins to know what he has lost, the more he begins to bewail the sentence of his corruption, which he has met with. For he sees whence and whereto he has fallen; how that from the joys of Para- dise he has come to the woes of the present life, from the companyings of the Angels to carings for necessities; he considers in what a number of perils he now lies prostrate, who before without peril disdained to stand; he bewails the exile which being accursed he undergoes, and sighs after the state of heavenly glory, which he might be enjoying in security, if he had not had a mind to commit sin. Which Ps. 31, same the Psalmist regarding rightly, saith, / said in my 22 fear, I am cast out from the face of thine eyes. For after contemplating the interior joys of the vision of God, and the assemblage in fellowship of the Angels holding fast, he brought back his eyes to things beneath, he saw w^here he was laid low, who was created for this end that he might have been able to stand in heavenly realms; he considered where he was, and where he was not he grieved to think, he mourned for himself as ' cast out from the face of God's eyes,' because by comparison with the interior light, he had felt the darkness of his exile, that he was undergoing, to be the The wise will not solace tltemselvcs u'ith this world. 367 heavier. Hence it is that he admits not to his soul the solace Book of any favouring from the present life, saying, / refused mij ' soul to he comforted. For oftentimes the rich ones of this world, being afflicted with weariness of spirit, are used to regard the good gifts bestowed on them in time, and to soften down their sadness. For when they feel themselves affected with something of sadness, they look at their horses, they survey the vessels of their gold and their silver, they go the round of their estates. And while they gladly carry their eyes through the range of these temporal things, they get the better of the sadness of soul that has risen up. And hence Truth saith to them also in the Gospel; But ivoc unto i/o//. Luke 6, that are rich, for ye have your comfort here. But the holy man, who mourns for this, that he has fallen from everlasting joys, does not admit consolation on the ground of things temporal, saying, / have refused my soul to be comforted. As though he said in plain speech; ' I, who do not grieve for the loss of temporal things, am utterly unable to be com- forted by the abundance thereof.' And as though we our- selves on hearing these things said to him, * What then dost thou seek, who refusest to find comfort in those things that are of the world?' he thereupon added; / remembered God, and was delighted. As if he said in plain terms; ' Me not even the abundance of things earthly doth cheer, but even able to see, gives me delight.' So then, this is the bitterness the remembrance only of my Maker, Whom as yet I am not of the wise, that whilst they are lifted up on high in hope, they do not bow down the mind here to any delights. For hence it is written; The heart of the wise is where there ^5Eccl. 7, sorrow, and the heart of fools where there is mirth. Hence James saith: Be afflicted and monrii and, weep; let your James lauyhter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.^ Hence ' Truth bears witness by Itself, saying, Blessed rtreMatt.5, they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.' So wisdom^' cannot be * found in the land of those that live sweetly;' because they are the more really foolish, in proportion as whilst parting with the greater things they delight themselves in the least. Hence Peter blames that same folly of the wicked, saying. That count for pleasure the indulgence of the^ Peter 308 Soul of sinners a bottomless pit where Solan lies.
Job 28, day of defilement and stain *'. Hence Solomon saith, / -^—^~ counted laughter an error; and said to mirth ^ Why art Eccl. 2, thou vainly deceived? Accordingly let the holy man say concerning Wisdom, Neither is it found in the land of those that live sweetly. In this way plainly, that those who in this world live sweetly, are still so besotted, that this very thing too they know not, viz. Whence they have fallen. It follows; Ver. 11. The bottomless pit saith, It is not with me. 67. What does he call ' the bottomless pit' but the hearts of men, which are at once by the fall all floating, and by the mistiness of double-dealing full of darkness? Which same ' bottomless pit* declares that this Wisdom ' is not with' it; because the wicked mind, while it longs to be wise in a carnal way, shews itself foolish as to things spiritual. For because as Paul testifies, the wisdom of this world is foolish- ness with God, so much the more completely is every one rendered foolish within, as he endeavours to appear wise Rev. 20, without. Concerning this abyss it is said by John, And * / saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old sei'pent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled. For by the number of a thousand, he denoted not the quantity of time but the universality, with which the Church exercises dominion. Now the old serpent is bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit, because being tied up from the hearts of the good, while he is shut up in the minds of lost sinners, he rules over them with worse cruelty. And a little while after- wards he is described as brought up out of the hollow of the bottomless pit, in that from the hearts of the wicked which now rage secretly, having then gotten power against the Church, he shall break out into the violence of open perse- cution. And so this bottomless pit, wherein the devil is now kept hidden, ' saith that Wisdom is not with it,' because by Reading ' coinquinationisy ^coinquinat tones.'' Vulg. as ours.
I Deep craft and restless worldliness lack Wisdom. 369 wicked deeds it shews itself" a stranger to true wisdom. For, Book .. XVIII whilst a man covers wickedness in the heart, but with the.'
mouth gives forth flatteries, whilst he overshadows his pur- poses with double-dealing, whilst he eschews words of single- mindedness as foolishness, whilst he shuns the ways of simple innocency, it is as if the Abyss denies that she has the Wisdom of God. And because minds that are devoted to this world, are disturbed by the cares and anxieties of the present life, and therefore are quite unable to enjoy the repose of that Wisdom, it is rightly added; And the sea sail/i, It is not ivith me.
68. For what is there denoted by the name of the sea xliii. saving the bitter disquietude of worldly minds, which while they fall foul of one another in enmities by turns, dash themselves together like encountering waves? For the life of worldly persons is rightly called ' a sea;' because, whilst it is agitated by the tempestuous stimngs of actions, it is parted from the tranquillity and stedfastness of interior Wisdom. Contrary to which it is well said by the Prophet, Upo?i whom shall 3Iy Spirit rest but upon him that ^5 is. 66,2. humble and quiet, and that trembleth at my words f But from earthly minds the Spirit flies the further in proportion as He findeth no rest with them. For it is hence that it is said of certain by the Psalmist; Bruising and unhappiness Ps.i3,7. is hi their nays, and the way of peace have they not known. ^^ 7* From which same bruising of disquietude the Lord calls usCom.Pr. back, saying, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and «reMat.ii, heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon ^^* ^^' you, and learn of Me; for I am 7neek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For what is more toilsome in this life than to be fevered with earthly desires? or what is there more full of repose here, than to long for nought of this world? It is hence that the Israelitish people received the keeping of the Sabbath in gift; it is hence on the opposite side that Egypt was smitten with a multitude of flies. For the people, that follows God, receives the Sabbath, i. e. ihe rest of the spirit, that it should not be worn out in this life by any craving of carnal passions. But Egypt, which bears a likeness of this world, is stricken with flies. For the fly is an excessively intrusive and restless VOL. II. B b 870 Unsy thoughts of earth muHt go ne Wiadom come.
Job 28, creature. Wherein what else is there represented but the ^g^^^ intrusive solicitations of carnal desires. Whence it is said Ecc. 10, elsewhere, Dying flies destroy the sweetness of the ointment.
Because superfluous thoughts, which in the mind taken up with things carnal are for ever both springing into life and dying avray, destroy that sweetness, with which each individual has been inwardly anointed by the Spirit; because they do not suffer him to enjoy the unadulteratedness thereof. And so Egypt is smitten with flies, because the parts of those persons that love an earthly life, while they are stricken with the disquietudes of their desires, are by the swarms of carnal imaginations borne down beneath, so that they cannot be lifted up to the desire of interior rest. Whence when Truth comes to the heart with the wonderful help of His pitifulness.
He first banishes therefrom the fevers of carnal thoughts, and afterwards distributes in it the gifts of the parts of virtue.
AVhich same the sacred history of the Gospel excellently conveys to us; in which when the Lord being besought was led by the way in order to restore the daughter of the ruler Matt. 9, to life, it is added directly. But when the crowd were put ^' forth He ivent in, and took her by the ha7id, and the maid arose. So the crowd is cast forth without, in order that the damsel may be raised up; because if the importunate throng of worldly cares be not first expelled from the inner recesses of the heart, the soul, which lies dead in the interior, cannot rise up. For whilst it lets itself loose amongst the countless imaginings of earthly desires, it never in any degree gathers itself up to the consideration of self. Thus then, knowing and seeing that in these waves of perturbations Wisdom cannot dwell, he says, And the sea saith. It is not with me.
For no man receives her fully, saving he who strives to withdraw himself from all the drifting to and fro of carnal Ecclus. courses. And hence it is said elsewhere. Write wisdom in ^^' ^^* the time of leisure. And he that is lessened in doing, even Ps. 46, he shall win her. And again. Be still, and know that I am 69. But how is it that w^e know that most of the old Fathers at once interiorly held fast this Wisdom in its life, and outwardly administered the affairs of the world in ordinary? Do we call Joseph deprived of the attainment of rias JVisdom can dnell nith cares home for obedience. 371 this Wisdom, who in the time of dearth taking upon himself Book the affairs of all Egypt not only furnished provisions to the ' ^ - Egyptians, but by the skilfulness of his administration preserved the life of foreign people as well that came to him? Did Daniel prove a stranger to this Wisdom, who, when he was made by the king of the Chaldeans in Babylon chief of the governors, was busied with greater charges in proportion as by a higher pitch of dignity he was likewise set above all? Whereas then it is plain that very often even the good are engaged in earthly charges with no interest, we plainly see that in this way the citizens of Jerusalem some- times render services^ to Babylon, in like manner as often- ^anga- times the citizens of Babylon pay suit and service to Jerusalem. For there are some persons who preach the word of life for the displaying of wisdom alone, they minister the succour of alms from the passion of vain-glory; and indeed the things they do seem to be proper to Jerusalem, but yet are they citizens of Babylon.
70. In this way then it sometimes happens, that they who love the heavenly Country alone, seem to be subjected to the charges of the earthly country. Whose ministration however is distinguished from the practices ot the wicked for the most part in act, but sometimes before the Judge Above in thought only. For being full of wisdom from Above, they distinguish how they may at once be free to one thing inwardly, and busied with another thing outwardly; so that if perchance by God's secret appointment aught of the concerns of this world is charged upon them, they coveting it not, they may yield to God Whom they delight in, and from the love of Him, may interiorly desire His Vision only, but from the fear of Him externally discharge the course imposed upon them with humility, that they should at once desire to be disengaged to God by force of the free attachment of loving affection, and again fulfil the charges imposed upon them by force of the constitution of servitude; and when the affairs of business make a din without, within the most peaceful repose is maintained in love; and the turmoils of employments outwardly clamouring, reason as presiding judge disposes of within, and with tranquil governance regulates the things, which all around Bb 2