A T T p fl shewed HiniseU' in flesh, lie sent proj^hets as preachers of His mystery. Since they are rightly entitled by the name '< ante- of 'a bulwark^,' because, whereas they preached the Lord coming after, they stood as it were ' before the wall.' But it is as if ' the wall were broken,' when by the promptings of the wicked, faith, which is in our Redeemer, is done away in the hearts of some. And when power is awarded to the perverse in this life, what else but 'a door' of error is opened.'' And so it is as if the wall being burst asunder and the door opened the wicked rush in upon the good, when power being received temporally, the corrupt set themselves to pull down the very defences of faith too in the hearts of some. Con- cerning whom it is fitly said; And were rolled dozen for my . miseries; that is to say, because in the first instance to their own miseries. For except that by living corruptly they fell before to their own * miseries,' they would never after- wards persuade others also to those miseries. But after their own the children of perdition are ' rolled down to our miseries' also, when to those evil things wherein they are themselves already involved, they drav/ persons as well who are linked to ourselves.
54. It is possible too that by the title of a wall may be understood the defence of discipline, as Solomon bears wit- Prov. ness, who says, / went by the field of the slothful, and by g^' ^^' the vineyard of the man void of understanding. And lo, it was all grown over with nettles^ and thorns had covered the face thereof^ and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
For to ' pass by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,' is to look into the life of any careless liver, and to take a view of his deeds. Which same ' nettles or thorns fill up,' because in the hearts of the careless, itching earthly desires and the prickles of bad Prov. habits sprout forth, since it is written. In desires is every one LXX.* If^^l **>' idle. ' The stone wall was pulled down,' i. e. the Ben. hut discipline of the Fathers was loosened from his heart. For see Pr.
21 25. because ^ the stone wall being pulled down' he saw that dis- 26« cipline was loosened, he directly added in that place going on; Then 1 saw and laid it up in my heart; and by ex- The Elect seem brought to nought. Desires of the weak/ail. 491 ample I learned instruction. And therefore as it were the Book XX. wall being- burst the enemy enters in, when by the crafty — -^-^ persuading either of evil spirits, or of bad men, the defences of discipline in the heart are scattered away. But when the vigour of that same discipline is relaxed in the heart' of the lost, in their eyes all the deeds of the good are had in con- tempt, and they account it nothing, whatever they see relating to virtues in the Elect. And hence it is added; Ver. 15. / was reduced to nought.
55. For in the reckoning of the wicked we are * brought xxvi. to nought,' when those temporal goods, which they them- selves love as chief, we do not retain in our hands. Because the promises from Above being disregarded they desire the things of earth, and if ever aught rises up in the mind of those persons in the way of longing after the Eternal world, it is quickly done away by transitory gratification springing up. And hence it is directly subjoined; As the wind thou didst take away my desire.
Since the faithful People declares that itself suffers that, wherein those whom it loves it grieves should suffer. Thus ' the wind takes away desire,' when any transitory object does away the longing after Eternity. And hence it is yet further fitly subjoined; And as a cloud my health hath passed away. Since the cloud towers on high, but the breath of wind drives it into career. Thus, surely, then is it with the temporal good things of the wicked. They appear as it were by loftiness of honour to pass their time as on high, but they are daily driven on to the career of life as by a kind of blasts of their mortality. So ' health passes as a cloud,' because the glory of the wicked, in the degree that it is lofty, is not fixed. But after the desires and the courses of persons going weakly have been finished, the discourse is made to turn to the voice of the Elect, when it is forthwith introduced, Ver. 16. But now my soul in mine own self is withered, and the days of affliction have taken hold upon yne.
56. Since * the soul' of the Elect ' withers now,' because it is xxvii. afterwards made green in that eternal triumphing. ' Now, the days of affliction take hold upon them,' because the days of joy follow afterwards. As it is written, To him that Ecc\vis. feareth God it shall go well at the htst. And ai^ain it is^'^^-^^* 492 Job speaks most of those that fail in the Church.
JoB_30, delivered touching the Church, And she shall laugh in ^j^^'^ the last day. For now is the time of affliction to the Prov. good, that one day exulting may follow them apart from ^ * * tears. Hence it is elsewhere said by those, Thou hast 19. ' humbled us in the place of affliction. Since * the place of affliction' is the present life, so the righteous here below, i. e. ' in the place of affliction,' are * humbled,' because in the eternal life, i. e. in the place of delight, they are elevated. But when he said that ' the soul was withered,' he rightly put before too, in mine own self; because in our own selves, indeed, our soul is afflicted, but in God refreshed, and it is become far removed from the greenness of joy, in proportion as still being withheld from the light of the Creator, it draws back to itself. But then it attains to the greenness of true joy, when being lifted up by the grace of eternal contempla- tion it even transcends its very self. Now these particulars which we have run through by allegorical investigating, it is requisite that we hold in all points after the history as well. Which particulars however I now for this reason pass over, because I am not unaware that they are plain to those that read them. Now in the days of final persecution, because there are many that are lost and a small number that are saved, for this reason the holy man, in the time of his suffering, both utters few particulars touching the good, and a great many touching the wicked. And hence he directly turns his words to the person of those who are brought to the ground, and so conveys his own circumstances, that the things he relates may accord with those that fall. Thus it follows; Ver. 17. In the niyJtt season my bone is pierced with pangs, and they that eat me sleep not. XXIX. 57. If we mark the history by itself, the case appears plain, because the body of the holy man, through the hollows of ulcers, a swarming multitude of worms was wounding. But if we dive into the mystery of the allegory, what are denoted by ' the bones,' but the strong ones severally in the body of Holy Church } Who, as it were, by their solidity hold together the members, while they bear with stedfastness the practices of those going weakly. But when the heat of the last tribulation is grown to a head against her, in the night Bones of the Church pierced: her garment wasted. -J 93 season her bone is pierced with pangs; because sometimes Book being overcome with toniients, even the very persons let. „_U themselves run off" to faithlessness, who seemed to be keeping fast others to the faith. Therefore she says, In the night season my hone is pierced with pangs. As though she said in plain words, " Pressed with the darkness of tribulation, they are so penetrated with affliction, that even the very persons, who had within me the firmness of strength, have now, as it were, a kind of piercing of fear.' And it is well said. And tJiey that eat me take no sleep; because the evil spirits, that ' eat up' all the carnal out of the Church, know not how to rest from tempting in proportion as they are not burthened with any weight of flesh. But the persecutors of Holy Church, because they are very corrupt, would that they were few in number! It goes on; Ver. 18. In the multitude of them is my garment co7i' sumed, and they have hound me about as with the collar of my coat.
58. If we give heed to the history, what else do we take xxix. * the garment' of blessed Job for, but his body.'' whose ' garment indeed is consumed' when the flesh is put to torment. But according to the mystery of allegory, ' the garment' of Holy Church is the life of the faithful. For as the whole Church together is ^ the garment' of Christ so the faithful severally are accounted * garments' of that same Church. For if Holy Church were not Christ's ' garment,' Paul surely would not say, 77*^5/ He might present it ifoEph. 6, Himself a glorious Churchy not having spot or wrinkle; i. e.' neither in respect of sin ' having spot,' nor in respect of a double mind ' having wrinkle,' because both by righteous- ness she is clean, and by a single bent stretched. She then that is washed that she should not ' have spot,' and stretched that she should not ' have wrinkle,' assuredly is a * garment.' Therefore as the clothing of Christ is the name given to the whole Church in general, so the clothing of the Church are the souls of the several persons which being converted from error,by believing that same Church, encircle her by attaching themselves with faithfulness to her. Concerning which same the Lord saith to that Church by the Prophet, As I live, Is. 49, saith the Lord, thou shall surely he clothed, with them all, ' 494 Enemies would throttle the Church; hold her as mire. Job30, rt.9 u:itJi an ornament. Butwlum the storm of cruel persecu- •T — '-^— tion arises, very many of the faithful are separated from the love thereof, who seemed to have themselves attached to her heartily. So then let her say, In the multitude of them is my (jarment consumed; because whilst there are many that torment, the greatest number are brought to an end, who were attached to her by the binding tie of love.
59. Now it is well added. And have bound me about as tvith the collar of my coat. Since ' the collar of a coat' encircles the neck of the wearer, but if the neck is tied up, the use of the voice and the puff of life is done for. Holy Church, then, do the children of perdition ' tie up as with a collar of a coat,' because they endeavour by their persecutions to put out in her the life of faith, and the voice of preaching. Since this thing her persecutors are in a special manner wont to essay, that before all things they may take away from her the word of preaching. And hence these persons who with- stood the first beginnings of the holy faith told the Apostles Acts 6, beaten with rods, saying. Did we not straitly command you that ye should not teach in this 7iame? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine. So the body of Holy Church they had as it were girded with ' the collar of a coat,' who, the preachers being tied up, as it were pressing her neck, wished to shut up the way of the voice in her. But the several Elect are more ready to die in the time of their persecution than to hold their peace. Who whilst they are brought down in death in the body, are accounted despicable and mean by all the foolish and the carnal, because when the lost are unable to see what good things the Elect hold in the spirit, these whom they see brought to an end in the flesh, they account unhappy. And hence it is added; Ver. 19. I was likened to mire, and became like dust and ashes.
xxxi. 60. Since in the judgment of lost sinners the Holy Church of the Elect is ^ likened to mire,' because it is trodden under and despised in time; it is ' compared to dust and ashes,' because while they do not see her interior good things, they calculate that she has been brought to those bad things alone, which they see brought to view in her in the body. But the faithful people of the Elect, while it sees many fall from Hearing delayed brings profit through patience. 495 itself, wishes, if it mia:ht obtain this, to have the times of its Book adv'ersities reversed. Because the prayer of this people is delayed, its groaning is increased. Hence it is further added; Ver. 20. / ivill cry unto Thee, but Thou wilt not hear me; I stand, and Thou regardest me not.
61. Since Holy Church in the time of her persecution xxxi. ' stands' by faith, and ' cries' by longings. But she is grieved that she is ' not regarded' as it were, when she sees her wishes under tribulations delayed. For by a high counsel, Almighty God, when llis Saints are wrung tightly by the persecutions of adversaries, and when they cry with never ceasing entrea- ties that they may be set free, is wont to put off their voices in entreating Him, that their merits in suffering may be increased, in order that they may be the more heard in answer to merit, the more they are not heard quickly in answer to wishing. Whence it is elsewhere written, 0 my Ps.22,2. God, T cry in the day time, but Thou hearest not, and vi the night season. And the very usefulness itself resulting from the delay of hearing is immediately added, when it is there brought in directly. And not for foolishness to me. Since for redoubling the wisdom of the Saints it is beneficial, that what is prayed for they receive slowly, that by delay desire may increase, and by desire the understanding may be aug- mented. But when the understanding is stretched to the full, there is opened a more ardent affection thereof towards God. And the affection is made large for obtaining the things of heaven, in proportion as it was long suffering in expecting. Yet in the midst of these things grief prompts the patience of the Saints to utterance, and whilst being delayed they gain ground, they dread lest their powers failing they should being despised be rejected. It goes on; Ver. 21. Thou art changed to cruel unto me; and in the hardness of Thy hand Thou opposes t Thyself against me.
62. The old translation is widely at variance with this sense, xxxii. because what is spoken in this concerning God, is related in ^^'^• that of adversaries and persecutors. Yet because this new translation is said to have transferred every thing from the Hebrew and Arabic more truly, we should believe whatever is delivered in it, and the right way is that into the word of it our interpretation should search with exactness. Accordingly Job 30, he says. Thou art changed to cruel unto 7ne, and in the — — ^ — hardness of Thy hand Thou opposest Thyself to me. In Holy Scripture when any thing is said of God unworthy, the mind of the reader is affected, as if it were ever the case that any thing that is worthy were spoken of God. Since well nigh every thing that is spoken touching God, is by this alone henceforth unworthy, that it admitted of being spoken. But for Him to Whose praise the conscious faculty, being astounded, is not equal, when may the tongue by speaking suffice? But the Holy Spirit teaching to men that understand this same truth, how unutterable are the things above and the things of God, sometimes uses even those words con- cerning God, which amongst men are held as a fault, that from these things which seem unworthy of men, and yet are spoken concerning God, men should be admonished to know that neither are those things even worthy of God, which whilst they are accounted worthy among men, are thought worthy of God. Ex.34, 63. For God is called 'jealous,' as it is written. The Lord, his Name is 'Jealous^ He is called ' wroth,' whence Ps. 86, it is written, The Lord was wroth against Israel. The Lord Numb, i*^ called ' repentant,' as where it is written, It repenteth Me 32, 13. that I have made man upon the earth. And again; It 7. ' ' repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king over Israel, 1 Sam. jjg ^g eiititled compassionate, as where it is written. Merciful and pitifid is the Lord, patient and full of compassion. He is called ' foreknowing,' as the Apostle saith concerning Rom. 8, Him, For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate ^ ■ to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whereas neither )' jealousy,' nor ' wrath,' nor ' repentance,' nor strictly speaking * compassionateness,' nor ' foreknowledge,' can be in God. For all these particulars are derived into Him from human qualities, while there is a descending to words expressive of infirmity, that as it were a kind of steps being made for us, and set beside us, by the things which we see close to us, we may one time be enabled to mount up to the high things of Him. For He is said to ' feel jealous,' who guards the chastity of his wife with torment of mind. He is said to be ' wroth,' who is inflamed with heat of spirit against evil that deserves to be punished. He is said to ' repent,' to whom Qualities of men ascribed to Cod in another sense. 497 that which he has done is displeasing, and contrarily by Book changing does some other thing. He is called ' compassion- ihlate,' who is moved with pity towards his neighbour. Now * misericordia' (' commiseration') is so called from * miserum cor,' (* a miserable heart,') for this reason, because each individual sees a person wretched, and sympathizing with him, while he is affected with grief of mind, he himself makes his heart miserable, that he may free from misery the man that he is set on. He is said to * foreknow,' who sees each particular event before it comes, and that which is future foresees before it becomes present. How then is God described as being ' jealous,' Who in watching over our chastity, is not affected by any torment of mind.? How is He ' wroth,' Who in taking vengeance on our evil ways is not stirred by any agitation of mind.? How is He ' repentant,' Who what He has once done is never at all sorry that He has done? How is He * commiserating,' Who has not ever a heart of misery \ How is He foreknowing, whereas nothing but what is future can be foreknown? And we know that to God there is nothing future, before the Eyes of Whom things past there are none, things present pass not by, things future come not; seeing that all that to us was and will be is in His sight at hand, and all that is present He is able to know rather than foreknow \ And yet He is called 'jealous,' He is called * wroth,' He is called ' repentant,' He is called * commiserating,' He is called * foreknowing,' that because He watches over the chastity of each individual soul. He should after man's method be called ' jealous,' though He be not touched by torment of mind. And because He smites sins. He is said to be ' wroth,' though He be not affected by any agitation of the spirit. And because Himself unchange- able He changes that that He is minded, He is said to ' repent,' though it is the thing He changes, not His counsel. And when He succours our misery. He is called ' commiserating,' though He succours the miserable, and has not ever a heart of misery. And because the things which to us are future He sees, which same however to the Same Being are always at hand, He is styled * foreknowing,' though He does not in any way foresee the future, which He sees as present. F^or * al. * can rather be known than foreknown.* VOL. II. K k 498 God chan(j(^s not, yet HeewH lo cltange toward man.
Job 30, even whatsoever things are, in Uis Eteniity are not therefore '^: seen because they are, but therefore they are because they are seen. Whilst therefore there is a coming down to the words of our changeableness, by those, as being made a kind of steps, let him, who is able, mount up to the unchangeable- ness of God, that he may see One shewing jealousy, without jealousy. One wroth without wrath. One repentant without sorrow or repentance, full of commiseration without a mise- rable heart, foreknowing without foresight. For in Him can neither the past nor the future be found, but all things changeable last unchangeably, and things, which in themselves cannot exist together, are all of them at once and together present to Him, and nothing that goes by passes away in Him, because in His Eternal Being, in an incomprehensible manner, all the rolls of ages whilst passing remain, whilst running a race stand still.
64. As then we understand Him * jealous' without jealousy, ' wroth' without wrath, so He might by the holy man be also called ' cruel' without cruelty. Since he is called ' cruel,' who while smiting with severity spares not; that is to say that in this passage ' cruel' should be taken for one striking with severity, and not sparing the avenging of sin. Hence also Isaiah, when he saw the day of final Judgment was destined to come not henceforth with pardon but with rigour. Is. 13, 9. says, Beliold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel hotli with wratJi, and Jlerce anger, to lay the land desolate; and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Therefore the holy man, that he might declare tliat this same cruelty is more suited to himself than to God, says. Thou art changed to cruel unto me. As though he said in plain terms, * Thou, Who hast in Thine own Self nought of cruelty, to me, whom Thou sufferest not to draw breath from persecution, Thou ? seemest cruel.' For so God is not capable of being cruel, just as He is not in the least degree capable of being changed. But because in God there comes not either cruelty or changeableness at any time, whilst He says ' unto me,' he shews that he is sensible that God is in Himself neither * cruel' nor ' changeable.' But because as concerns our- selves things pros])erous and things adverse shift to and fro, in this that we ourselves are changed, we as it were imagine God^s Hand seems Juwd fo some. UitsUible eleralioji. 499 as concerns ourselves His mind changed. But He the same Book .XX Being remaining unchangeable in Himself, in the thought of — —~ men's liearts comes to be felt now one way and now another, according to the character of their minds. For the liglit of the sun too, whereas it is not at all unlike to itself, seems to weak eyes harsh, but to souiul eyes gentle; that is to say, by their changing, not by its own. Tlierefore as we before said, in saying. Thou art, changed^ he added mito me, that this very ' cruelty' and ' changing' might be not in the attributes of the Judge, but m the mind of tlie sufferer. Which he laid open by other words also, saying, And in the hardness of Thine hand Thou opposesi Thyself to me. For • the Hand' of the Lord is thought' hard,' when being opposed to our will, that thing which displeases Him in us, it follows hard upon by striking; and He redoubles the strokes, when the soul of the sorrower looks for clemency. Which words, how- Alleg. soever, according to the mystery of the allegory, suit well the words of Holy Church speaking in the accents of the weak, who very often reckon themselves to be smitten more than they i\incy they deserve, and esteem as cruelty of the Judge the severity of the lancing howsoever most just, seeing too that when the wound of the sick man is cut away by the chirurgeon's steel, the operator is called cruel, who however by the hardness of the hand that cuts is opposed to the wound, but in concert with the health. It proceeds; Ver. 22. TJioa Uftedst me up, and as it were setting me upon the wind, thou dasliedst me doun stronglg.
65. Because the glory of the present life is seen as on xxxiii, high, but is not set firm by any stedfastness, one is as if he were ' lifted up and set upon the wind,' who rejoices in earthly prosperity, because the breath of fleeting happiness lifts him up only for this end, that it may in a moment prostrate him tlie worse below. For whereas Holy Church is high in honour with all persons, the weak ones in her, who rejoice in transitory successes '',whereunto do they seem lifted up but as set upon the wind? Because in the succeeding season of persecution, when the breath of prosperity is gone by, their ' lifting up' is brought to the earth in a moment, if *» Some read ' successibus,' others ' advancements occurring in the change 'successionibus/ which last may mean of things.'
Kk 2 500 xloVa fall hut in seemincj. Death appointed him.
Job 30, instantly they learn by falling, that whilst lifted up before they T^p— ^ — were seated upon the wind. Which very words in a pc;caliar