j~^~ weakness pray that it may not, as that in strength wc may be ready for the will of our Creator to be done, even in opposi- tion to our own will. After this pattern, then, the words of weakness are sometimes proper to be adopted by the strong, that by their strong preachings afterw,ards the hearts of the weak may be more acceptably strengthened. Hence blessed Job when he uttered words as of one in doubt, saying, Thinkest thou that a dead man shall live again? presently added the sentence of his sure belief, whereby he saith.
All the days that I now serve militant will I wait, till my change come. ^1"* 17. He that waits for his change with such ardent longing, shews how great his certainty was of the Resurrection, and he makes it appear how greatly he looks down upon the course of the present life, who designates it a ' service militant.' For in the militant state there is the going on continually to an end, day by day the finishing of the conclusion is expected. Thus he despises the course of this life, and looks for the settling of fixedness, who hereby, that he is serving subject to changeableness, is in haste to attain to his change. For to the just man in this life the very load of his corruption is burthensome. Because watchings exhaust with weariness, sleep is sought, that the labour and harassing effect of watchings may be moderated: but sometimes even sleep kills. Hunger wastes the body, and that its craving may be banished, victuals are sought after: but frequently even the very victuals oppress, which had been sought in order to banish the oppression of debility. And so the load of corruption is a heavy burthen, which except it were so heavy, Rom. 8, Paul would never have said, jPor the creature teas made subject ' to vanity, not willingly, but hij reason of Him Who hath sub- jected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall he delivered from the bondage into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groavieth and travaileth in pain together until now. So let the holy man, longing for the state of in corruption, say. All the days that I now serve militan t ivill I wait till my change come. In which same change what it is that takes place, he adds; Ver. 15. Thou shall call me, and I will answer Thee.
I Man enabled to answer God through His ' Right Hand.'' 57 18. We are said to answer any one, when we do works in Book XII turn answerable to his deeds. Thus in that change the Lord * calls,' and man ' answers,' in that, before the brightness of The Incorrupt, man is shewn forth incorrupt after corruption. For now so long as we are subject to corruption, we do not in any wise ' answer' our Creator, seeing that whereas cor- ruption is far from incorruption, there is no similarity suitable to our answering. But of that change it is written, JVhen } John He shall appear, we shall be like Him: for we shall see ' Him as He is. Then therefore we shall truly ' answer God,' Who ' calleth,' when at the bidding of the Supreme Incor- ruption we shall arise incorruptible; and because the creature is not able to earn this by itself, but it is brought to pass by the gift of Almighty God alone, that it should be changed to that exceeding glory of incorruption, it is rightly subjoined; Thott wilt stretch forth Thy right hand to the work qf Thine hands.
19. As if he said in plain words; * For this reason Thy xv. corruptible creature is able to hold fast unto incorruption, because he is lifted up by the hands of Thy power, and is kept by the grace of Thy regard, that he should hold fast.' For the human creature by this alone, that it is a creature, has it inherent in itself to sink down below itself, but man has obtained it from his Creator, that he should both be caught above himself by contemplation, and held fast in himself by incorruption. And so that the creature may not fall away beneath himself, but hold on in incorruption, he is lifted to the stedfastness of immutability by the right hand of His Maker. Moreover it may be that by the title of ' the Right Hand' the Son may be designated; in that, All things 3 o\m i, were made by Him. Thus Almighty God ' stretched out His^* Right Hand to the work of His hands,' because, that He might lift on high the human race, become refuse and grovelling in the lowest things, He sent the Only -Begotten One, made Incarnate for this end. By Whose Incarnation it has been vouchsafed to us that we, who fall into incorruption of our own will, should one time be enabled to answer God when He calls us in the glory of incorruption. Wherein who can estimate the bountifulness of Divine Mercy, that He should bring man after sin to such a height of glory?
58 God numbers our stepSy yet spares our sins.
Job 14, God takes account of the bad things we do, yet by the grace -y' — * of His lovingkindness He remits them to us in mercy. And hence it is added; Ver. 16. For now Tkou niimherest my steps, but Tkou sparest my sins.
xvi. 20. God ' numbers our steps,' when He marks each one of our several deeds for the recompensing them. For what is denoted by the steps, but each particular act of ours? Thus Almighty God both * numbers our steps' and ' spares our sins,' in that He at once surveys our actions with exact- ness, and yet remits them in mercy to those that repent, Who both sees obduracy in those that sin, and yet softens it into penitence by preventing grace. Thus He ' numbers sins,' in that He turns us ourselves to bewail the several things which we have done. And He remits them in mercy, in that whilst we our own selves punish them. He Himself never judges them in the last reckoning, as Paul testifies, 1 Cor. who saith. For if we should judge ourselves.^ we should not ' * be judged. Hence it is further added; Ver. 17. Thou hast sealed up as it were in a bag my transgressions; but Thou hast healed mine iniquity, xvii. 21. Our ' transgressions are sealed up as it were in a bag,' in that that thing which we ourselves do in outward act, except we wash away by penance in the mean while, is kept in the secresy of God's judgments under a kind of hiding, that one day it may also come forth out of the bag of secresy into the publicity of the Judgment. Hence it is said by Deut. Moses too; Is not this laid up in store with Me, and sealed ' ' up among My treasures? In the day of vengeance I will repay them. But when for the evil things that we have done, we are bruised with the stroke of discipline, and lament the same by penance, He ' sealeth up,' and ' healeth' our iniquity, in that He neither leaves things unpunished here, nor reserves them to be punished in the Judgment. Thus He ' seals transgressions,' in that He marks them with exactness here, to chastise them with the rod, but He ' heals' Ihem, in that He wholly remits them in the stroke. Hence the iniquity of that persecutor of Flim, whom He laid prostrate on the ground, He did also by sealing heal, seeing Acts 9, that He said concerning him to Ananias; He is a chosen Sins sealed up, yet healed. Two hinds of temptation. 59 vessel unto Me to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and Book kings, and the childi'en of Israel. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My Name\s sake. For to that man, whom on account of past transgressions He still threatens with future sufferings, what he had done wrong, surely He kept sealed in the heart; but as surely in so sealing He had healed his transgressions, in that He called him ' a chosen vessel ^' Or, surely, ' our transgressions are ' vas e- sealed in a bag,' when the evil things we have been guilty of, we reflect on continually with a heedful heart. For what is the heart of man, but God's ' bag?' wherein whilst we earnestly look to see how much we transgress, we carry our sins as it were ^ sealed up in God's bag.' Did not David keep his sin ' sealed up in a bag,' when he said. For I acknoic- Ps.5i,3. ledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. And because the faults, which we are made acquainted with in reviewing and repeating, the pitiful Creator remits to us, after the ' transgressions being sealed in a bag,' it is rightly sub- joined, But TJiou hast healed mine iniquity: as if he said in plain speech, * What things Thou dost now seal, so that I in repenting should see, doubtless Thou doest it, that in the retribution they should never be seen.' It follows; Ver. 18, 19. And surely the mountain falling slippeth away, and the rock is removed out of his place. The waters wear the stones, and by washing little by little the earth is consumed, and so Thou wilt in a like way destroy man.
2*2. This is very often the case, that upon rocks falling, a xviii. piece of rock is removed to other places; that waters wear stones, and little by little the ground is wasted by the wash- ings of the flood: but we have need to make out with great diligence that which is brought in; and man Thou wilt in a like icay destroy. For what is that, that to a mountain falling, a rock removed, a stone worn hollow, and ground consumed by the washing of the flood, the ruin of man is likened, but this, which we are plainly given to understand, that there are two sorts of temptations, one sort, which passes in the mind even of the good man by sudden accident, that he should be so tempted of a sudden, that by the un- expectedness of the event it should make him reel, and bring him to the ground, and that he does not see his CO The strong mind may he slowly worn, or Jail suddenly.
Job 14, falling, until after he has fallen; while there is another which ^jj^—j^ comes by little and little into the mind, and by gentle suggestions corrupts the resisting soul, and not by its ex- cessiveness but by its importunity wastes all the powers of righteousness therein? And so, whereas there is one sort of temptation, which by a sudden assault very often brings the good down to the ground, let it be said. And surely the mount am falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of Jus place, i.e. the holy mind, whose place was righ- teousness, is by a sudden impulse removed into sin. Again, because there is another sort of temptation, which infuses itself gently into the heart of man, and wears and wastes all the hardness of its resolution, let it be said, The waters wear the stones; in this way, viz. that the unremitted and soft flatteries of lust suck away the hardness of the soul, and the slow and penetrating evil habit corrodes the hard and forci- ble purpose of the mind. Hence it is added. And by stash- ing the ground is consumed little by little. For as when water flows in, ' the ground is consumed little by little,' so when bad habit creeps on ° by gentle degrees, even the strong mind is engulphed. Hence it is well added. And Thou wilt in a like way destroy man, i. e. in this way, that when Thou by a righteous appointment sufFerest temptation of a sudden to get the dominion over the mind of him, w^ho is seen to have his stand on high. Thou causest ' the mountain to fall and slip away,' and when the will is changed to evil, it is as if ' the rock were removed to a new place,' but whilst Thou lettest a gentle and fine yet unremitting temptation prevail over the minds of those, who are accounted strong, ' the waters in a manner wear the stones, and by washing, the ground is consumed little by little,' in that the hardness of the mind being subdued by gentle suggesting is made soft.
23. Let us see how that David was a ' high mountain,' who was enabled to contemplate such great mysteries of God by the Spirit of prophecy; but let us mark how he ^ slipped down,' by a sudden fall, who whilst walking on the solar, lusted after and carried off another man's wife, and killed her husband with loss to his own army. Then ' fell a moun- tain with a sudden fall,' when that mind which was used to " al. ' surripienti,' * encroaches.'
David's sudden fall; Solomon* s slow loastiiig. 01 dwell \\\i\\ heavenly mysteries, was overcome by sudden Book X [T lempiatioD, and brought under to such most monstrous '- pollution. And so ' the rock was removed from its place,' when the mind of the prophet being shut out from the mys- teries of prophecy came to imagine filthy things. Let us see moreover how ' the waters wear the stones, and by washing the ground is consumed little by little,' in that Solomon by an immoderate intercourse and frequency with women was brought to this pass, that he built a temple to idols: and he who had before erected a temple to God, by frequency of lust, being even bowed down under misbelief, was not afraid to erect idol-temples. And so it came to pass, that by unremitting wantonness of the flesh, he was brought even to misbelief of the spirit. What else then, but that the ' waters did wear away the stone, and by washing the ground was consumed little by little,' in that by the encroaching ^ of sin as it flowed in little by little, the ground ^ surri- of his heart crumbled away unto wasting.? Thus let blessed P^^"*® Job consider both sorts of temptation, whether the sudden and excessive, or the gentle and prolonged sort, let him con- template the falls of his fellow-creatures, and from those things which take place outwardly let him catch the key- note of his contemplation within, saying. And surely the mountain falling cometli to nought, and the rock is removed out of Iris place: the waters wear the stones, and by wash- ing little by little the earth is wasted; and Thou wilt in like manner destroy men; i. e. ' as these things without sense at one time are brought to the ground suddenly, at one time are worn little by little by the softness of water being let in; so likewise him, whom Thou hast created a reasoning creature, Thou dost either overthrow by sudden temptation, or permittcst to be worn and wasted by a long and gentle one;' and that reasoning creature he directly describes in the following words, saying, Ver. 20. TJiou hast strengthened him for a little space, that he might pass by for ever.
24, Man has been ' strengthened here for a little space,' xix. in that he has received here powers of living for a while, that ^^t. he should for ever pass away thither, where no end should bound and shut in his life, but in this moment's space where 62 Man, defaced hy death, knows not things on earth save in God.
Job 14, he has been ^ strengthened/ he extracts that wherefrom in the everlasting world he may either find how always to have joy, or not ever escape the punishments he has entered upon. And for this reason, that ' he has been strengthened for a little space,' to ' pass away for everlasting,' it is fitly added immediately; TJiou wilt change Ids countenance, and send him away. XX. 25, ^ The face of man is changed,' when his form is wasted by death; but * he is sent away,' in that from those things which he kept willingly he is necessitated to pass away to the eternal world against his will, and while he is brought thereunto, these things which he held long and thought on, how it will be with them now left behind him he knows nothing. Hence it is added; Ver. 21. Whether his sons be in honour or dishotiotir, he perceiveth not. xxi. 26. For as they, who are still living, know nothing of the souls of the dead, in what place they are held; so the dead, concerning the life of those living after theni in the flesh, know not at all how it is ordered; in that both the life of the spirit is far from the life of the flesh, and as the corporeal and incorporeal are things diff'erent in kind, so are they parted in knowledge. Which however is not to be imagined concerning holy souls, in that they which behold the bright- ness of Almighty God within, we cannot for a moment sup- pose that there is any thing without that they know not^ But because carnal persons bestow their chief affection on their children, blessed Job declares that they are hereafter ignorant of that, which they loved here with ail their heart, so that ' whether their sons be in honour or dishonour they know not,' whereas their care for these was always preying MoiiAL. upon their minds. Which however if it is to be understood in a spiritual sense, with no unfitness by the title of sons we 1 Tim. have works denoted, as Paul saith of woman, Noiwith- * ' standing, she shall he saved in childhearing. Not that a woman, who being devoted to continency never bears children, ^ S. T. Aquinas, Sum. Theol. P. 1. and c. xvi. St. Aug. however argues Q. 82. Art. 8. prefers this opinion to rather againstsupposingsuchknowledgei that doubtfully given by St. Augustine, natural, than against the probability of j De cura gerenda pro Mortuis, c. xiii. its existing as a divine gift.
Man knoics not the fate of Ids wor/is. Pain his lot in life. ()'3 shall not be saved, but she is said to be ' saved by child- Book XU.
bearing,' because by the operation of good works she is united to everlasting salvation. Thus the children in honour are good deeds, and the children in dishonour are bad deeds. And often man strives to do things with a good intention, yet by reason of the many occasions that creep upon him, how his actions are accounted of in the sight of Almighty God is a thing uncertain. And so ' whether his sons be in honour or dishonour he perceiveth not,' in that his works being sifted with a searching scrutiny, whether they be ap- proved or condemned he cannot tell. Thus here man is placed in the painfulness of labour, and thither he is brought in the fearfulness of misgiving. Hence it is yet further sub- joined concerning the labour of the present life itself, Ver. 22. But his flesh while he liveth shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over himself.
27. Concerning the married Paul saith, Nevertheless, stick xxii. shall have trouble in the flesh. But they may ' have trouble 7 28 ' in the flesh here,' who are even now leading spiritual lives. Wherefore then is it said as it were in a special sense, that there is ^ trouble of the flesh' to married persons, seeing that it is not far removed even from the life of the spiritual; ex- cepting that those commonly meet with worse troubles from the flesh, who delight themselves with the pleasures of the flesh? And it is well said. And his soul within him shall mourn over himself; in that whosoever desires to rejoice in himself, by this alone is henceforth in woe, viz. that he has gone far from the true joy. For the true joy of the soul is the Creator. Therefore it is meet that man should ever find in himself sorrow, who, forsaking His Creator, sought joy in himself. It proceeds; Chap. XV. 1. Then answered Eliphaz the Temmiite, and said, Shoidd a wise man answer as if speaking into the wind, and fill his belly with burning /^ 28. We have already said frequently that blessed Job xxiii. bears a type of the Holy Church universal, and that his"^^^^^- friends bear the likeness of heretics, who as it were on the plea of defence of the Lord find occasion of foolish talking, and let loose insulting words against good men; to whom all is displeasing that is thought by the faithful, as though it were 04 Heretics accuse Holy Church of presumption and ill living.
Job 15, uttered to the wind. Whence it is said now, Should a wise . — _: — man answer as if speaking into the wind? Nor do they ac- * count the words of the good as the sayings of reason, but as the stingings of madness. Whence it is added, And shall he fill his belly with hnrning? in that those things even which they know themselves to say by way of insult, they are ever bent to palliate, as has been said, on the ground of defending the Lord. Whence Eliphaz adds; Thou reprovest with words him that is not equal to thee^ and thou speakest what is not expedient for thee. xxiv. 29. Now they suppose that no one has the fear of the Lord, saving him whom they can draw into the foolishness of their own confession. Hence he adds, Yea^ thou easiest off fear, and hast taken prayer before God. ' Taken' means * taken away;' as if he said in plain terms, ' Presuming on Thine own righteousness, thou scornest to implore the grace of Thy Creator.' For when heretics do not find real evils to urge against the good, they feign things to reproach them withj that they may seem righteous, and it very often happens, that they come to open words of insult. Whence it is still further added, For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, and thou followest the tongue of the crafty, 30. ' Iniquity teaches the mouth,' when there is conceived by a bad life somewhat to be spoken of a worse kind. Now because blessed Job was free in speech in proportion as he was holy in action, by his friends, who hold the type of heretics, he is found fault with at once on the grounds of a wicked life and of a bold mouth, so that it should be said. Thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth. As if it were said to him in plain words, 'What thou speakest wickedly, thou hast learnt of a more wicked life.' But it often happens that heretics, whilst in seeming they venerate God, oppose His mysteries, and they think it humility if they deny the truth. For there are some, who imagine that they are bringing injury upon God, if they confess that He took true flesh, or if they should think that He was capable of really dying for us in the flesh. And whilst they endeavour as it were to bestow upon God a greater degree of honour, they are enforced to deny the real praises of His goodness. For in praise of His charity what is there more Heretics proudly charge Holy Church with presumption. 65 efficacious, than that in our behalf He should make those Book VTT things meet to Himself for the undertaking them, which seem '- for Him unworthy. But Holy Church confesses His very and true Flesh, His very and true Death, but in declaring these things she is thought by Heretics to put an indignity upon God. Wlience it is said now. And thou followest the tongue of them that blaspheme. And if any piece of adversity befall her in this world, they say that it was brought upon her by this very injuriousness of her confession. Hence it is yet further added; Ver. 6. Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips shall answer thee.
31. For because they suppose that the evils of adversity xxvi. break out in consequence of the erroneousness of confession; they say that ' her own lips shall answer her,' so that fault of utterance should be the cause of the scourge. But some- times they desire to repress it as if by reasoning; whence Eliphaz sets himself to reprove blessed Job as it were on principles of reason, saying, Ver. 7, 8. Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? Hast thou heard the secret of God? and shall His wisdom be inferior to thee?
32. As if He said in plainer words, ' Thou, who speakest xxvii. of the Eternal One, consider that thou art a creature of time. Thou that arguest concerning His wisdom, remember that thou knowest not His counsel.' But that Heretics for this take up the words of the defence of the Lord, that they may appear to be learned, and whilst they seem to defend the glory of God, are making known their knowledge to men, the very words of Eliphaz subjoined bear witness, who began indeed to speak of the wisdom of God, but immediately fell into self-elation, saying, Ver. 9. What knowest thou that we hnoiu not? What under standest thou which is not in us?
Which same sentences plainly shew in what exaltation of mind all that comes forth, which sounds as if it were for defence of the Lord. It goes on; Ver. 10. With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
33. That all Heretics are gone out of the Holy Church xxviii.
VOL. II. F 6G He.retica take tr ouhh for judgment, contemplation fur hypocrisy.
Job 15, Universal, John testifies, when he says, They went out from ^iis, hut they were not of ua. But that those things which they maintain they may recommend to the weak minds of their fellow-creatures as on the grounds of antiquity, they testify that they have ancient fathers, and the very Doc- tors of the Church themselves they declare are the masters of their school; and whilst they look down upon present preachers, they pride themselves with unfounded presump- tion on the tutorage of the ancient fathers, so that they avouch that the things they themselves assert the old fathers held as well, in order that what they are not able to build up in truth and right, they may strengthen as by the authority of Heb. 12 those. But because it is written, Whom the Lord loveth He ^' chasteneth, and scour geth every son whom He receiveth, oftentimes Holy Church travails with countless adversities in this life, and the life of the children of perdition is let to go free of the scourge, in proportion as it is not reserved for any rewards. But Heretics seeing the tribulations of Holy Church, look down upon her, and fancy that she is bruised I profes- by such a multitude of strokes, in due of a false creed *. Hence .vionis j|. jg yg^ further added; Ver. 11. Is it a great thing that God should console thee? But tliine evil words prevent this.
xxix ^^' ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ *^ him in plain words; ' If thou wouldest amend thy profession of faith, thou mightest long ago have had consolation in thy scourges.' It goes on; Ver. 12. Why does thine heart lift thee up, and hast thou thine eyes astonished as thinking of great things? XXX. ^^- Often the mind of the righteous is so suspended in contemplating things on high, that outwardly their face seems to have been struck with stupefaction. But because Heretics are not taught to enforce the power of contemplation in secret, they think that it is done by the just, and those that are imbued with a right understanding, more in hypocrisy than in truth, in that what they cannot themselves obtain the possession of, they do not suppose exists in others in a genuine way. It goes on; Ver. 13. Wliy doth thy spirit swell against God, that thou lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
xxxi. ^^' ^^^y often when the righteous are afflicted with any A man may speak humbly of his oion good deeds. 67 woes, they are forced to confess their works, as blessed Job Book had done, who after just living was pressed down by the - strokes of the rod; but when the unrighteous hear their sayings, they think that they are uttered in self-exaltation rather than in truth. For they weigh the words of the righteous by their own feelings, and do not think that good words can be said in a humble spirit. For as it is a great sin, for a man to ascribe to himself what there is not, so it is com- monly no sin at all if he speaks with humility the good that there is. Hence it often happens that the just and unjust have words that are like, but always a heart that is widely unlike, and by the same sayings for which the Lord is offended by the unrighteous. He is even propitiated by the righteous. Thus the Pharisee when he entered the temple said, I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that /Lukeis, possess. But the publican went out justified more than he. Hezekiah too, the king, when he was afflicted with sickness of the body, and brought to the last point of life, said with his heart pierced in prayer. Remember now, O Lord, / Is. 38, beseech thee, how J have walked before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart. Nor yet did the Lord disregard this confession of his perfectness, or refuse him, whom He imme- diately heard effectually in his prayers. See, the Pharisee