him, or in what degree adversity shall fall upon him, that His Elect neither unbounded prosperity may exalt, nor overmuch adversity sink them too low; moreover it is ap- pointed in this very life of mortality how long he shall live with the conditions of time. For although Almighty God added fifteen years to the life of King Hezekiali, yet at that moment that he suffered him to die, He foresaw he would die. Wherein a question presents itself, viz. how it is that 2 Kings it should be said to him by the Prophet, Set thine house in ' * order ^ for thou shalt die, and not live? For he, to whom sentence of death was declared, immediately upon his tears had life added to him. Now the Lord said by the Prophet at what time he in himself deser^^ed to die, but by the bountifulness of mercy. He kept him for the undergoing death at that time, which He Himself foreknew before the ages began. Nor even therefore was the Prophet deceptive, because he made known the time of death, at which that man deserved to die, nor were the appointments of the Lord rent and torn, forasmuch as this also, that the years of life should be added to by the bountifulness of God, was foreordained before the ages began; and the period of life, which was added contrary to expectation without, was inwardly appointed without increase upon foreknowledge; and so it is well said. Thou hast appointed his hounds which he cannot pass, MonAL. 3. Which may also be taken according to the spirit, in that we sometimes endeavour to advance in virtuous attainments, and some gifts we are vouchsafed, but being kept off from some, we lie prone in things below. For there is no man who masters that degree of goodness which he desires, in that Almighty God, Who discerneth the inward parts, sets bounds to the very spiritual attainments themselves; that by reason of that which man tries to master, and is unable, he may not exalt himself in those things, in which he has the power. Whence too that great Preacher, that had been carried up into the third heaven, and penetrated the secrets of Paradise, after that revelation, was not left the power to be at rest, and without temptation; but whereas Almighty God has * appointed man his bounds, which he cannot pass,' he MarCs attainments limited. Longing for the end. 47 both exalted bim to know tbinss on bierb, and set bim Book .. XII. down again lo be subject to weak tbings, tbat he looking at - the measure of bis compass, whilst he endeavoured to lay hold on security, and could not, that be might not be carried out of himself in pride, might be forced in humility ever to return back within his own bounds. It proceeds; Ver. 6. Turn from him a little while, that he may rest, till his longed for dag come, as an hii'eling^s.
4. In this place, Tarn from hhn, means, ' remove from iii. him the force of the stroke,' for who can rest when He turns away from bim, when He Himself alone is rest, and the further off a man is from Him, he is also rendered void of rest in proportion? Thus it is in such sort said, Turn from Mm, that you should understand, ' from smiting;' for it is fitly added, till his longed for day come, as an hireling's. In proportion as an hireling is far from the end of his work, so is he far from the recompense of his wages. Thus every holy man being set in this life, whilst he sees tbat he is far from departing out of the present life, laments tbat he is far from the eternal bliss. What then is it to say, Turn from him a little while, that he may rest; but, ' withdraw now the strokes of the present life, and shew the blessings of eternal rest?' Whence too it is added concerning tbat rest itself; till his longed for day come, as an hireling's; for then the longed for day as of an hireling comes to man, when he receives eternal rest in compensation for bis labour. But as far as relates to the aspect of the present life, bow despicable is the race of man, so full of miseries, blessed Job yet further tells, and describes how greatly the very things without sense seem to surpass bim, when be says; Ver. 7 — 10. For there is a hope of a tree, if it he cut down, that it will he green again; and that the tender branches thereof IV ill sprout forth. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of tvater it will hud, and bring forth foliage as when it was planted. But man, when he is dead, and I stripped, and consumed, where is he?
5. Now because this is self-evident according to the letter, {y. we must refer the sense to the things of the interior, and J^Iyst. search how they are to be made out after the spiritual 48 Recovery of the Tree symbol of that of the Righteous.
Job 14, signification. Thus in Holy Scripturi; by the name of tree' — l_L_we have represented sometimes the Cross, sometimes the righteous man, or even the unrighteous man, and sometimes the Wisdom of God Incarnate. Thus the Cross is denoted Jer. 11, by * the tree,' when it is said. Lei us put the tree into his ' ' bread; for to ' put the tree into the bread' is to apply the Cross to the Body of our Lord. Again by the title of* the tree' we have the just man, or even the unjust man, set forth, Ez. 17, as the Lord saith by the Prophet, / the Lord hove brought down tJie high tree, and exalted the low tree. Forasmuch Lukei4, as according to the word of the self-same Truth, Whosoever ecoalteth him self shall be abased; and he that humbleth him- Ecc. 11, self shall be exalted: Solomon also saith, If the tree fall towards the South, or toward the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. For in the day of their death the just man does ' fall to the South,' and the unjust ' to the North,' in that both the just man in favour of the Spirit is brought to joy, and the sinner, together with the apostate Isa. 14, Angel, who said, / will sit also upon the mount of the tes- timony, in the sides of the North, is cast away in his frozen heart. Again, the Wisdom of God Incarnate is represented by Prov. 3, ' the Tree,' as where it is written thereon, SJie is a tree of life to them that lay hold on Her. And as She Herself Luke23, says, Lf they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And so in this place whereas a tree is pre- ferred before man, what is man taken for but every carnal person? and what is denoted by the title of ' the tree,' but the life of the righteous? For there is a hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will be green again. For when in a death of painful endurance the just man is hard bestead * for the truth, in the greenness of everlasting life he is re- covered again; and he who here proved green by faith, there 1 specietn becomes green in actual sight'. ' And his branches shoot,' in that it is most often the case that by the sufferings of the just man, all faithful persons are redoubled in the love of the heavenly country, and they receive the greenness of the spiritual life, while they are glad that he did courageously here in God's behalf It goes on; Ver. 8, 9. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, * Some omit ' in,' making it simply ' is put to a death of suffering for the truth.'
The * Root of the Righteous' revives in adversity. 41) and the stock I here qt' die in the dust; yet through the scent Book of water it tvill hud, and bring forth leaves as when it was '- first planted.
6. What is ' the root' of the righteous, but holy preaching, v.
since it is that he springs out of, and that he holds on in?
and what is meant by the name of the earth' or of dust,' but the sinner? to whom it is said by the voice of the Creator, '"^ Earth thou art., and unto earth shalt thou return. Gen. 3, 19 Or, indeed, as our Translation reads, * Dust thou art, and i g^ unto dust shalt thou return. Thus ^ the root of the righte-^^%- ous waxes old in the earth, and his stock dies in the dust,' in that in the hearts of the wicked his preaching is despised, and thought dried of all goodness, and ' his stock dies in the dust,' in that amidst the hands of the persecutors his body is bereft of life; for according to the words of Wisdom, In Wisd.3, the sight of the unuise they seemed to die, and their depar-'^' ture is taken for misery. But this one, whose ' root waxed old in the earth, and whose trunk died in the dust,' through the smell of water, buddeth; in that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the example of his conduct he causes the budding of virtue in the hearts of the Elect. For by the designation of water sometimes the watering of the Holy Spirit is used to be understood, as where it is written. If John 1, any man thirst, let him come unto 3Ie, and drink. -^''^john4 whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall i^^- never thirst. It follows; A7id bring forth foliage as whe?i it was Jirst pla?itcd. To ' bring forth foliage on the stock being cut down' is, when the just man is put an end to in the body, by the mere example of his suffering to raise up the hearts of many, and out of a right faith to shew forth the greenness of truth. And it is well said, As when it was first planted. All that is done by the righteous here is a second planting; in that clearly the first planting does not consist in the practice of the good, but in the foreknow- ledge of the Creator; and whereas all that the Elect do, as it is first seen and settled interiorly, so afterwards is executed outwardly, it is well said. And bring forth foliage as when it was Jirst planted, i. e. it shews its greenness in the exe- ^ Old Italic Version, Vid. Sabatier.
50 The * 7^00^' may he MavUs Nature, or the Flesh of Christ.
Job 14, cutiiig of practice, such as it had before in the foreknowledge - T — of the Creator.
7. The 'root of the righteous' may also be taken for the very nature itself of a human being, by virtue whereof he subsists, which same root waxes old in the earth, when the natural frame of flesh comes to nought being reduced to dust, whose ' stock dies in the dust,' in that the body dis- mantled of its own form and fashion crumbles to nought; but at the * scent of water it buds,' in that through the coming of the Holy Spirit it rises again; and it will bring forth boughs as when it was Jirst planted, in that it returns to that form, which it was created to receive, if, when he was set in Paradise, he had refused to sin. Proph. 8. Which perhaps may also be taken of the Lord Himself, Who is the Head of all the good; for according to that which we have said before, whereas He saith of Himself, Luke Fo7' if they have done these things in a green tree, what 23,31. ^]^fj^ii ^g figyfg ^-^^ ^^ dry? He said that Himself was the green tree, and we the dry tree, forasmuch as He contained in His own Person the power of the Divine Nature, but we that are mere men are called a dry tree. And so ' there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,' in that even if He was able to be put to death by His Passion, yet by the glory of His Resurrection, He came to the greenness of life again; ' His branches shoot,' in that the faithful being multi- plied by His Resurrection grew out far and wide; His root as it were waxed old in the earth, in that the preaching of Him was to the unbelief of the Jews a despicable thing; * and His stock dried in the dust,' in that in the heart of those that persecuted Him, which was uplifted by the wind of their unbelief, He was held as an object of scorn and contempt, in that Ho was capable of being put to death in the flesh; but ' at the scent of water He budded,' in that through the power of God His Flesh after demise returned to life, accord- Acts 3, ing to that which is WTitten, Whom God hath raised from ^^' the dead. For in that God is a Trinity, the Holy Trinity, i. e. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, raised up to life the extinct Flesh of the Only-Begotten Son. And * II brought forth foliage as when It was first planted,' in that th( feebleness of the Apostles, which in the season of His deatl Man stript of innocency loses his true Being. 51 was afraid and denied, and by denying turned dry, by the Book glory of His Resurrection was again quickened in faith. In '- comparison with which Tree what is every man but dust? Hence it is added; - Ver. 10. But when man is dead, and stripped, and con^ sumed, where, I pray, is he?
9. There is no man without sin, save Him Who came not vi. into this world by sin; and whereas all we are tied fast in the bonds of guilt, we die by the mere loss of righteousness. Of the robe of innocence given us aforetime in Paradise, we are stripped naked, and we are yet further consumed by the subsequent dissolution of the flesh. Thus man being a sinner dies in guilt, is stripped bare of righteousness, is con- sumed in punishment. This nakedness of his erring son the Father vouchsafed to cover, who said, on his returning to him, Bring forth quickly the first robe. For ^ the first Luke robe' is the robe of innocence, which man being created ^^' ^^* aright received, but being persuaded wrongly by the serpent forfeited. Against this same nakedness it is said. Blessed z^Rev. 16, he that watcheih, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk ' naked. For we ' keep our garments,' when we keep the pre- cepts of innocency in our hearts, that whereas guilt strips us naked to the Judge, penance should cover us returning to the innocence we had forfeited. And it is w^ell said. Where, I pray, is hef in that the sinner, man, refused to stand there where he was created; while here, where he fell, he is forbidden to stay for long. Willingly he forfeited his country, unwillingly he is driven forth from his exile, which he delights in. Where then is he, who is not in His love, where only it is truly to be? It proceeds; Ver, 31, 12. As if the waters fail from the sea, and the river being emptied drieih up: so man lieth down, and riseth not.
10. The mind of man is the sea, and the thoughts of his vii. mind, as it were, a wave of the sea; which sometimes swell in anger, are made calm by grace, and from haired run out in bitterness; but when man dieth, ' the waters of the sea fail,' in that according to the words of the Psalmist, In that very Ps. 146, day his thoughts perish. And again it is written concerning^* the dying soul. Also their love, and their haired, and their ^(^<^^-9, 52 Resurrection denied only till this icurld ends.
Job 14, envy shall j^erish together. Thus ' the river being emptied — \ — 1 drieth up,' in that, when the soul is withdrawn, the body remains empty. For the lifeless body is as it were the empty channel of a river, wherein it is to be marked with an atten- tive eye that the present life, i. e. the time while the soul stays in the body, is likened to the sea and to a river, for the water of the sea is bitter, of a river sweet. And because we that are living here are at one time under the influence of certain bitternesses, and at another time are seen to be serene and gentle with sweetness, the course of the present life is set forth by the similitude of the sea and a river.
11. But herein that seems to be exceedingly hard which is added. So man lieth down, and riseth not. Wherefore do we so toil and labour, if we are not straining after the recom- pense of the Resurrection? And how is it said, and riseth not, 1 Cor. when it is written, We shall all rise again, hut we shall not Vuia- ^^^ ^^ changed? And again, i/"m this life only we have hope V. 19. of life in Christ, we are of all men most miserable: and when John 5, ' Truth' says by Itself, All that are in the graves shall hear 29. jjj^^ voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrectio7i of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. But the sentence sub- joined points out what distinction there is concealed in the sentence preceding. For it is added; 21:7/ the heavens he no more they shall not awake, nor he raised out of their sleep. viii. 12. For it is plain that they shall not rise again, that is, till the heavens be no more, in that except the end of the world come, the race of mankind shall not wake to life from the sleep of death. Not, then, that he shall not rise again at all, but that before the crumbling of the heavens the human race shall not rise again, is what he teaches. Moreover it is a thing to be marked, why after he had called man dead above, below he designates him not dead, but sleeping, and tells that he shall never rise again from his sleep until the heaven be crumbled in pieces, which is no otherwise than that it is plainly given us to understand, that by the likeness of the tree quickened afresh to life, he designates man a dead sinner, i. e. extinct from the life of righteousness; but when he speaks of the death of the flesh, he preferred to call I Christ trull/ died, yet Saints die not. Hell, hoio divided. 58 this not death but sleep, teaching us surely the hope of the Book Resurrection; in that as a man quickly awakes out of sleep, — so shall he rise in a moment at the nod of his Creator from the death of the body. For the name of death is horribly feared by weak minds, but the title of sleep is not feared. Hence Paul in charging his disciples saith, But I woiild'^^^^^^' not have you to he ignorant, brethren, concerning them ' which are asleep, that ye sorrow not as men without hope. For if we helieve that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which are fallen asleep in Jesus ivill God bring again with Him. How is it that the great Preacher calls the death of the Lord death, but the death of the servants of the Lord he names not death, but sleep; but that, having regard to the w^eak hearts of his hearers, he mixes the medicine of his preaching with wonderful art, and Him, Whom they knew to have risen already, he does not doubt to teach them was dead, while those, who had not as yet risen again, that he might teach the hope of the Resurrection, he calls not dead, but sleeping? For he did not fear to call Him dead Whom his hearers knew to have already risen, and he was afraid to call those dead, whose rising again they scarcely believed. Thus blessed Job, seeing* that he does not doubt of those that are dead in the flesh waking again to life, calls them sleeping rather than dead. It goes on; Ver. 13. O that Thou wouldest defend me in hell!
13. That before the coming of the Mediator between God ix. and man, every person, though he might have been of a pure and approved life, descended to the prisons of hell, there can be no doubt; in that man, who fell by his own act, was unable by his own act to return to the rest of Paradise, except that He should come. Who by the mystery of His Incarnation should open the way into that same Paradise. For hence after the sin of the first man it is recorded, that a flaming sword was placed at the entrance of Paradise, Gen. 3, which is also called ' moveable S' in that the time should it*„ ' * versacome one day, that it might even be removed. Nor yet do tills, V, we maintain that the souls of the righteous did so go down into hell, that they were imprisoned in places of punishment; but it is to be believed that there are higher regions in hell, and that there are lower regions apart, so that both the 54 Job prays for safety in IleV^ and release at last.
Job 14, righteous might be at rest in the upper regions, and the -j-^^— unrighteous be tormented in the lower ones. Hence the Psalmist, by reason of the grace of God preventing him, says, Ps. 86, Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. Thus blessed Job before the coming of the Mediator, knowing of his going down into hell, implores the protecting hand of his Maker there, in order that he might be a stranger to the places of punishment; where, while he is brought to enjoy rest, he might be kept hidden from punishment. Hence he subjoins; ^^ P®?"* That thou woiddest keep me secret^ until Thy wrath quite^ Vuig. pass by, X. 14. For the wrath of Almighty God does herein execute the force of its severity every day, that those who live unworthily it swallows up in most worthy punishments. Which wrath now indeed ^ passes by,' but at the end it ' quite passes by,' in that now it is executed, but at the end of the world it is finally consummated. Yet this wrath as to the souls of the righteous * quite passed by' on the coming of our Redeemer, in that those the Mediator between God and man brought back from the prisons of hell to the joys of Paradise, when He did Himself go down there in pity. And on this subject it is necessary to be known, that the term ' wrath' does not suit the Divine Being, in that no disquieting influence disorders the simple nature of God.
Wisd. Whence it is said to Him, But Thou, Rider of power, ' ' judgest with tranquillity, and orderest us with exceeding great regard. But because the souls of the righteous were one day to be set free by the coming of the Mediator from the regions of hell, though not the places of punishment, this too the righteous man foresees, and beseeching adds; And appoint me a set time, when Thou shouldest re- member me. xi. 15. But when the fulness of the time was come, Ood sent 4.V. ' forth His Son, made of a woman, inade under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law. Thus the man of the Lord foreseeing this redemption, wherein many of the Gentile world as well were destined to be set free, as he Job 10, himself says; Though these things Thou dost hide in Thine heart, yet I know that Thou dost remember all things; Our Lord the Death of death ^ the Biting of Hell. 55 prays for a time for the remembering of him, to be appointed Book him with Almighty God. For it is hence that the Lord saith in the Gospel, Ajid I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will JohnU, draw all things imto 3Ie, i. e. ^ all things Elect;' for neither did the Lord, when He returned from hell, draw the Elect and the lost together, but He bore off all those things from thence, which He did foreknow would have attached them- selves to Him. Hence He also says by the Prophet Hosea, I will be thy death, O death; I will be the biting of thee^UcsA'S, O hell. Now what we put to death, we do our best that it ^ * should not be at all, and of that which we bite, a part we take away, and a part we leave. Therefore whereas the Lord wholly destroyed death in His Elect members, He proved Himself the ' Death of death;' but whereas He took a part from hell, and left a part, He did not wholly destroy but did * bite hell.' Therefore He says, / will be thy Death, O death; i. e. ' in Mine Elect, I utterly destroy thee. — I ivill he the biting of thee, O hell; in that in taking those away, I pierce thee in part.' And so let blessed Job, knowing of this coming of our Redeemer to hell, pray for what he foresaw in the future, and let him say. And that Thou shouldest appoint me a set time wherein Thou wouldest re- member me. It goes on; Ver. 14. Thinkest thou that a dead man shall live again? ^u'g.
116. It is common with righteous men, in that which xii. they themselves feel to be sure and well-grounded, to urge something as if in doubting, so as to put the words of the weak into their own lips; and again by a strong sentence they gainsay utterly him that halts in doubtfulness, that by that which they are seen to put forth doubtfully, they may in some degree condescend to the weak, and hereby, that they deliver a sure sentence, they may draw the doubtful / minds of the weak to firm ground. Which whilst they do, they are following the pattern of our Head. For our Lord, when He was near to His passion, took up the voice of those that were weak in Himself, saying, O My Father, if it be Matt. possible, let this cup pass from Me; and that He might ^ ' '^ " remove their fear. He took it in Himself. And again shewing by obedience the force of strength. He saith. Nevertheless, not as IiviU, but as TJwu ivilt. That so when that thing threatens 56 Job fieems to doubt that he may confirm the Resurrection. Job 14. us which we would not have take place, we should so in