19. From which circumstance it takes place that the soul of the Elect is tortured by a great fire of their own praises, and by sorrowfulness of thought fined clear of all the rust of its inertness. For by heedful taking thought it is filled with fear lest either for those things, in the which it is praised, and they do not exist, it should meet with a worse judgment of God, or for those things wherein it is praised, and thev do exist, it lose the suitable reward. Whence it most connnonly takes place that like as the unjust man is defiled by his praise, so the just person is purified by his praise reaching his ear. For when the good things he has done he finds out are put forward by men, he dreads, as has been said, the exact inquest of the Final Judgment upon him- self, and full of affright flees to the conscience, and whatever there is therein worthy of blame, he corrects. For while he dreads to have his good things made known, fearing greatly the exactness of the Inquest to follow, if there be any hidden evil things in him, he cuts them away. For he is alarmed if he be not exhibited at least such to God, as he is held by men, neither is he satisfied that in that state in which he may have been made known to men he should continue to remain. For already he reckons compensation as it were made to him for his good things, except he add thereto others also which are not known by men. Whence it is well said by Solomon; As silver is tried in the fining pot Prov.
and gold in the furnace, so man is tried by the mouth of ' him that praises. For silver and gold if it be refuse is con- sumed by the fire, but if proof, it is brought out by the fire. Thus surely is the mind also of him that worketh. For what sort of man he is, is shewn herein that he is praised; for if when 564 Praise henefits if it alarms. Sin of self -commendation.
Job 31, his praises reach his ears, he is uplifted, what else was such '— an one but refuse gold or silver, whom surely the furnace of the tongue consumed? But if on hearing the marks of favour towards him, he returns to the consideration of the Judgment Above, and entertains fear lest he should be heavily charged for these things in the sight of the secret Arbiter, as it were by the fire of purifying he is made to grow to great- ness and splendour, and from the same source whence he undergoes the burning of affright, he shines so much the brighter. Therefore blessed Job, because he never preferred himself on the ground of practice, says with confidence, If I saw the sun when it shinecL And because fame to his credit never diverted this man from the regarding of the Interior Judgment, he adds, And the moon walking in her brightness. And because he never suffered, not even in secret thought, that his mind should be mastered by the boon of his repute, he directly added. And if my heart rejoiced in secret. And because it very often happens that the unheeding mind, when it does not set itself against tran- sitory applause, is drawn on even to this pass, that it praises itself what it does, to the condition which was set before it is in a manner fitly annexed; And have kissed my hand with my mouth.
ix. 20. For by the ' hand' doing is denoted, and by the Prov. * mouth' speaking; as when it is said by Solomon, A slothful 19, 24. r^jidr^i hideth his hand in his bosom^ and it is labour to him to bring it to his mouth. To the slothful man it is a labour to stretch his hand to his mouth,' because the slothful preacher has no mind to practise even the very thing that he says, Since to stretch the hand to the mouth, is to harmonize with his voice in practice. And so he ' kisses his hand with his mouth,' who praises the thing that he does, and by the testimony of his own speech awards to himself meritoriousness of practice. In which case who is there that is despised, saving He Who bestows the very gifts for practising themselves } Whence it is well said by the great Preacher; 1 Cor. And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if ^y '• thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Now holy men know themselves to be sprung since the fall of our first parent from a corruptible Taking glory to self^ a denial of God. 565 stock, and that not by their own goodness, but by grace Book from above preventing them they are changed to better _1 wishes and works, and whatever of evil they find to be in them, they feel is earned by mortal derivation, but whatever of good they espy in themselves, they acknowledge as the gift of immortal grace, and they are made debtors to Him for the benefit vouchsafed, Who both by preventing vouchsafed to them to will the good that they willed not, and by following after vouchsafed them to be able to do the good which they will. Whence it is well said by John; And worshipped Him That liveth for ever and ever, a?id'Re\. 4, casi their crowns before the throne of the Lord. For * to cast their crowns before the throne of the Lord' is to attri- bute not to themselves but to the Maker the victories of their conflicts, so as to refer the glory of praise to Him, from Whom they know themselves to have received powers for the conflict. And so blessed Job, because he so tells the good things that he had practised, that, nevertheless, he never attributes them to his own doing, but goes back to the praise of his Creator, denies that he had * kissed his hand with his mouth/ As though he said in a plain way, * I do not bring forward my deeds as mine own; because he is proved to disown the grace of his Creator, whoever attri- butes to himself the thing that he does in practicCo' And hence he adds directly; Ver. 28. Which is the chief est iniquity, and denial against the Most High God.
21. For it is clear that he does deny Him, when setting at x. nought His grace, he claims to himself the powers of good practice. Which too is rightly called as well ^ the chiefest iniquity' because every act of sin which is from infirmity destroyeth not hope, seeing that it asks forgiveness from the Judge Above. But presuming on our own goodness is so much the worse in desperateness, the further it is removed from humility. And when it ascribes the strength of practice to itself, it does not have recourse to the aid of the Maker, and it is brought to pass that the sinner perishes so much the worse, for that even this very thing, that he is a sinner, he is ignorant of. It follows; 5(16 Feeliny toward friends or enerniea tested by change.
Job 3], Ver. '29. If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that -— — ^ — hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found me. xi. 22. That we are disciples of Almighty God, the keeping of charity is the only proof. For it is hence that Truth saith Johnis, by Itself, By this shall all men know that ye are My Disciples, if ye have love one toward another. Which same love, if it really fills our heart, is wont to be exhibited in two ways; viz. if we at once love our friends in God, and our enemies for God. But it needs to be known that the love of our enemy is then really kept, when we are neither given up to »<addi- suffering^ upon his advancement, nor rejoiced at his destruction. For very often in a semblance of love with reference to an enemy, the mind is deceived, and such an one it reckons that it loves, if it do not prove a foe to his life; but the efficacy of love either the promotion, or the fall of an enemy, secretly and really puts to the proof. For on this point the mind of man knows not itself to the full, except that him whom he takes for an enemy to him, he finds whether by advancement or diminution to have changed the measure of his standing. For if he is given over to suffer by the prosperity, and rejoiced by the calamity of him who hates him, it is plain that he does notlove him, whom he does not wish to be better; and him he persecutes, even when standing, in wish, about whose fall he congratulates himself.
23. But herein it is needful to know that it very often happens that without charity being lost, both the destruction of an enemy rejoices us, and again his glory without any sin of envy saddens us, when both he falling to ruin, we believe that there are persons rightly set up, and he being advanced we dread very many being unjustly borne down. In which case neither does his diminution now lift up our mind, nor his aggrandisement give it over to suffer, if the right thought of our heart regard not what is done in the individual, but what is done by the individual towards others. But for preserving these things a scrutiny of the exactest discrimina- tion is absolutely requisite, lest when we are carrying out our own hatred, we be deceived under the appearance of the utility to another. For if there were not to be any Tke Righteous rejoice in God's J adgment, hut pity sinners. 567 rejoicing at all for the death of an enemy, the Psalmist would Book never say, The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the " 1 vengeance on the ungodly. For it is one thing to bear an lo. ' ungodly man, and another thing to bear an enemy. For there are a great many enemies that are not ungodly, and there are some ungodly persons who seem not in any special manner enemies to us. But the mind of man accounts every one whom it bears as an enemy, to be ungodly and wicked as well, because the faults of that man spleen as his accuser heightens in its own thinking. But with whatever wicked- nesses he may be sunk down, he little passes for wicked, if he is not felt to be an adversary. In which point there must be the distinguishing, that it is one thing wherein our enemy harms ourselves, and another thing wherein he harms himself and the rest of the world. For if he is good to others, perchance it may be that it is not without our fault that he is bad to us; nor should there be altogether a rejoicing in his ruin now, whose hostile treatment it is certain we alone have undergone. But when the enemy of ourselves and a great many persons is destroyed, it must needs be that our heart should be glad for the escape of our neighbours, rather than for the destruction of our enemv.
24. For it is requisite that when an adversary perishes we should minutely consider both what we owe to the destruction of the sinner, and what to the justice of the smiter. For when Almighty God smites any bad man, there must be sorrowing in unison with the wretchedness of the ruined, and rejoicing in unison with tlie justice of the Judge, so that both the punishment of our neighbour dying should be a sorrow to us, and again the equity exhibited by God in judging should be an occasion of joy, that so we may neither prove enemies to a man in his perishing, nor be found un- thankful to God in His judging. And so because he perfectly trod down all feelings of hatred in opposition, let blessed Job say. If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me^ or lifted up myself when evil found him. Who, that is to say, in loving even his enemy, whereas he sympa- thized with an adversary when ruined, by that one's evil things was himself advanced to good, that this one should go on growing to loving-kindness by the same cause that the 568 Job, withoul Gospel instruction^ kept from cursing. Job 31, evil that lie deserved had found that other. But because 30 ^ often there are persons who because they cannot with yjower, assail with cursing those whom they account enemies to themselves, in which persons it appears plain what evil things they would do if they could, who never cease to imprecate those which they cannot do, blessed Job exhibiting himself free from the sin of cursing as well, added, going on, Ver. 30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. xii. 25. For he would sin, if he were to desire that to be done by God, which he himself either could not at all be able to do, or if he could it would not be in any wise right. For they who assail an enemy with curses, what other thing do they wish God to do in his case, but what they are either unable or ashamed to do themselves? For they wish death to their enemy, which same even if they have the power, they are afraid to bring upon him; lest they should either be bound as guilty of murder committed, or shew themselves wicked even when they are. What then is it to say to God, * Kill the man whom I hate,' but to cry out to him in audible accents; * Do Thou that to mine enemy, which it is not proper for me to do towards him even as a sinner.' In which same words it is to be thought where had this person Luke 6, read, Loi:e yonr enemies? where had he read. Bless, and '' curse not'^ and again. Not rendering evil for evil, nor 12, 14. railing for railing? But the precepts of grace from above, iPet.3, j-,Q^ heard with the outward ears he observed, because the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote them in the heart of that man. To whom however it would have been but little that he loved those adversaries situated without, excepting he had to bear these also living within, and holding daily converse with him, even those of his household, as adversaries. Whence he adds, Ver. 31. If the men of my tabernacle said not^ O that we had of his flesh, that ive might be satisfied! xiii. 26. Which same sentence may also be taken in mystery of ^^^'^' the voice of our Redeemer. For * the men of his tabernacle' longed to be ^ satisfied by his flesh,' i. e. whether the Jews in persecuting or the Gentiles in believing. For both the one set themselves as it were by consuming it to j)ut an end Household adversaries the sorest trial of patience. 569 to His Body, and the latter desire to satisfy their hungering Book soul with His flesh, by the daily sacriiice of His immolating. '- Hist But now following the gist of the history alone let us reflect \\'\\h what strenuousness the mind of the holy man, full of concern for all things, is divided within and without; who to those acting unjustly had he either submitted in silence, or not withstood in righteous living, assuredly he would never have had them as adversaries. But hereby, that he kept the paths of life, he found hearty desires of his death. Adver- saries he met with, shewing themselves outwardly, lurking inwardly. Now it is inferior goodness in a conflict for a man to see without evils that he has to get the better of, and not to have within aught that he may have to bear. But it is the praise of perfect greatness to meet hostile treatment, w ilhout bravely, and within mercifully. For there are some things in the actual common dealing of those of a household, that cannot be corrected without sin in the corrector, and therefore when they either defile him who corrects them, or do not weigh heavily on him who does them, with a great skill of tutoring they require to be winked at, and by this very winking to be borne with, which same when put upon ourselves are the more quickly dismissed from our hearts, if we know our own misdemeanours against our neighbours. Whence it is well said too by Solomon; Take no heed to a//Eccles.
words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse'' thee: for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself also hast cursed others. For whilst we reflect what we have been towards others, we are the less concerned that others should have proved such persons towards ourselves, because the injustice of another avenges in us what our conscience justly accuses in self. It proceeds; Ver. 3*2. The stranger did not lodge in the street; but my door was open to the traveller.
'27. Whereas, Paul being witness, charily is described as xiv. patient and kind, by patience it bears with composure the ill turns of others, by kindness it also renders with mer- cifulness its own good ones. Whence blessed Job at once patiently bore those of his own household cursing him, and received to him kindly the travellers and strangers, to the first affording examples of morals, the other meeting with the 570 Gijia not accepted from a aoul dejiled wilh sin* Job 31, succour of external things. For the lioly man viewing by the — g^^ — Spirit of prophecy the Redeemer of mankind, also kept his pardoning words in practice, whereby He warns us, saying, Luke 6 -^<?^ ^0, and it shall be let go to you; give, and it shall be ^^' given unto you. For our giving relates to the things which we have outwardly, but our letting go to the dismissing the grief, which we have inwardly contracted by the offence of another. But it requires to be known, that he who ' lets go' but does not * give,' though he has not done to the full, yet has observed the better part of mercifulness. But he who ' gives' but never ' lets go' does not execute mercy at all; because by Almighty God the gift is not accepted from the hand, which is proffered by a heart tied and bound in wicked- ness.
28. For there is need for the soul that offers alms first to be made clean, because every thing that is given to God is reckoned according to the feeling of him who gives it. Therefore every stain of evil must be wiped clean from our interior man by the changing of the thought, because the offering has it not to appease the wrath of the Judge, except it be acceptable by the purity of him who offers it. Whence Gen. 4, it is written; And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offerings; but unto Cain and to his offerings He had not respect. For it is not that sacred Revelation says that ' He had respect to the offerings of Abel, but to the offerings of Cain He had not respect;' but he first says, that He had respect to Abel, and afterwards subjoined. And to his of- ferings. And again he says that to Cain He had not respect, and next added, fior to his offerings. For accord- ing to the heart of the giver is the thing that is given received. Therefore not Abel by virtue of his offerings, but by virtue of Abel the gifts offered were well pleasing. For it is read that the Lord had regard first to the person who gave, before the things which he gave. Hence blessed Job going on to tell us his bountifulness in the boon of hospitality did right in bringing forward first his patience and kindness towards enemies, how that he did not ' exult in the destruction of his enemy;' that he did not ' assail his persecutors with words of cursing;' that those enraged against him within, he bore wilh equanimity; and then at last he brought forward the bountiful- Hiylt, repute tempts men to conceal their faults. 571 ness of his hospitality, that, namely, by the order of his rela- Book tion being listened to, we might learn that exterior gifts are '- seasoned by the interior pureness of the heart, that the com- bination of his virtues might teach the reader what sort of person he ought to be in himself, when he administers external good to others.
•29. But who would not account himself to be a holy man in the midst of such heights of his virtues? Who would not be in some measure tempted by his mere merits alone being so many in number, so that if at any time as being but man he went wrong, he would not have his transgression made known to men; and would account it as trivial if he did any thing wrong in lesser things; and would rather prefer to cover his offence by silence than disclose it by the voice of confession? For it often comes to pass that the mind being lifted up by virtuous attainments, when it knows that many good things are scattered abroad concerning it in the esteem of neighbours, does not wish it to be known, if there is any thing that it does deserving of blame. Which same darkness of mistaking the mind is for this reason exposed to, because high-swelling clogs the eye of the heart. Hence blessed Job, in the midst of so many distinguished achievements in virtues, who became so lofty in practice, in order to shew how lowly in mind he was, added directly; If I covered iny transgression as man, and did hide mine iniquity in my bosom.
30. For these are the proofs of true humility, both for a man to ascertain his own wickedness, and on being ascertained to discover it by the voice of confession; but on the contrary it is the accustomed evil practice of man's race, at once to commit sin keeping himself hidden from sight, and when committed to hide it by denying, and when brought home to him, to multiply it by standing up for it. For from that fall of the first man we draw these accessions of wickedness, from which we also draw the very original of sin. For thus he, when he had touched the forbidden tree, hid himself from the face of the Lord amidst the trees of Paradise. In which hiding, because surely he could not escape the eye of God, it is not the effecting of self-concealing that is related, but the affecting thereof is betokened. Who when he was charged 572 Adam\ sin made worse by self-exc using.
Job 31, by the Lord, how that he had touched of the forbidden tree, 1— thereupon answered; Tlie woman rthom Thou gavest to he Gen. 3, with me, she gave me of the tree^ and I did eat. The woman '^* likewise on being asked, answered, saying, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. For to this end they were enquired of, that the sin, which by transgressing they had been guilty of, they might by confessing wipe out. Whence too the serpent, that prompter, inasmuch as he was not to be brought back to pardon, was not asked concerning the sin. Thus man was asked the question * where he was,' that he might review the offence committed, and by confessing it take knowledge how far he had departed from the face of his Creator. But both preferred to take to themselves the cordials of defence rather than of confession. And whilst the man was minded to palliate the sin through the woman, and the woman through the serpent, they added to the sin, which they endeavoured to vindicate; Adam by indirectly glancing at the Lord, how that He had Himself proved the author of their sin, in that He had made the woman; and Eve in referring the sin to the Lord, Who had placed the serpent in Paradise. For they who had heard from the mouth of the devil deceiving V. 5. them, Ye shall be as Gods; because they were not able to be like to God in Godhead, for the heightening of their error endeavoured to make God like to themselves in trans- gression. In this way then, whilst they set themselves to defend their guilt, they made the addition that the sin should be rendered more heinous when examined, than it had been when committed.
31. Hence now also the branches of the human race derive bitterness still from this root, so that when a man is charged home for the evil in him, he hides himself under words of self-defence, as under a kind of leaves of trees, and as it were flies the face of his Creator to a kind of darkened retreats of self-exculpation, whereas he has no mind to have that known that he has been guilty of. By which same con- cealment he has not hidden himself from the Lord, but the Lord from himself. For he manages that he should not see Him Who sees all things, not that he himself should not be seen. Contrarily to every sinner the first step now of en- lightenment is the humility of confessing, in that he now Marly raised frotn death in sin,^ comes forth' by confession. 573 refuses to spare liimself, who does not blush lo avow the evil Book that he has done, and he who by dcfeiKling himself might ^ have been laid open to be accused, by accusing himself defends himself most quickly. And hence to dead Lazarus, who was kept down by a great weight, it is not said, ' Be thou restored to life;' but, Come forth, by which same rising Johnii, again, which was carried on in the body of that man, it is signified in what way we ourselves rise again in the heart, i. e. when it is said to the dead man, Come forth; that is to say, that man being dead in his sin, and through the mass of bad habit already buried, because he lies hidden from sight within his own conscience by wickedness, should go forth from himself without by confession. For to the dead man it is said. Come forth, that from the excusing and concealing of sin he may be called forth to come out to the accusing of himself with his own lips. Whence David the Prophet, in coming to life from that death of his great guilt, as it were went forth at the voice of the Lord, when being rebuked by Nathan he brought accusation of what he had done 32. Therefore because this sin of concealing grew to a dreadful excess in the human race, blessed Job, when he was saying, //' / corered my transgression, rightly inserted the words as man, because he sees that to be proper to man, which descends by the copying of our old parent. Whence