justified himself in act, and Hezekiah maintained himself to be just in thought as well, and by the same act by which the one offended, the other propitiated God. Wherefore then was this, but that Almighty God estimates the words of each by the thoughts within, and in His ear those are not high, which are uttered with a lowly heart? Hence blessed Job, when he put forward his deeds, did not in the least degree swell out against God, in that those things which he had really done, he spoke with a humble spirit. Now Heretics are accustomed to mix some true points with the statements of their erroneous persuasions. And the friends of blessed Job, though in the reproving of him they are altogether deceived, may yet even say some things true, which they learnt by frequent communication with him. Whose words were they all to be contradicted, the Apostle Paul would never have brought forward the sentence of Eliphaz, saving, He taketh the uise in their own craftiness, ^ Cor.
68 No man by nature pure or unchangeable.
Job 15, And so, because those things which they say right, they do j^j,j not rightly say against blessed Job, let us in their sayings Moral, at once tread under our feet the mischief of indiscretion, and sift the marrow of rightness. It goes on; Ver. 14. Whal is man, iliat he should be clean? xxxii. 37. For hereby alone that he is called ' man' he is described as earthly and weak; for man is so named* from the earth. And how is it possible for him to be free from stain, who being made of earth of his own will fell into infirmity? where it is added; And lie that is born of a woman^ that he should be righteous? For the first piece of unrighteousness the woman proffered to the man in Paradise. And so how shall he appear righteous, who was born of her that proved the bidder of unrighteousness? It goes on; Ver. 15. Behold, among His saints thee is no one that is unchangeable; the heavens are not clean in His sight. xxxiii. 38. He repeated that with the title of ^ the heavens,' ^^^' which he before denoted by the appellation of the ' Saints.' Ps.i9,l,pQ^. jj^ jg written concerning those very Saints; The heavens are telling the glory of God; all of whom have by nature in themselves changeableness proper to them, but while they earnestly desire to attach themselves always to the unchange- able * Truth,' in attaching themselves they bring it to pass that they become unchangeable; and whilst they keep them- selves fixed thereto with a full affection, they one day obtain that being carried above themselves, they get the better of this, that in themselves they were changeable. For what is changeableness but a kind of death? which while it changes one thing into another, as it were kills that which was, that that should begin to be which was not. And it is written 1 Tim concerning the Author of all things, Who only hath un- ' * changeableness, in that He only is unchangeable in Himself. Jam. ij Concerning whom it is written by James; With Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of changing. For changeablenessitself is a shadow, which if it altered the light by any changes, would as it were obscure it. But because in God changeable- ness entereth not, ^ no shadow of changing' intercepts His Light. Now it is well said, the heavens are not clean in His sight, in that by themselves before the strict cognizance of God * ' homo' from ' Juimiis,' as Hebrew ' Arlam.'
Man*s good made useless by evil. Sin greedily sioallowed. 69 not even they can be clean to perfection, who are preachers Book of cleanness, as John testifies, who saith, If v:e say that ive - have no sin ^ we deceive ourselves. If then 'among Hiss. ' Saints there is no one unchangeable, and the heavens are not clean in His sight,' who may presume in himself upon the practice of righteousness? Hence it is further added; Ver. 16. How much more abominable and useless is man, tvhich drinketh iniquity like water i 39. He who first said it was impossible that man should xxxiv. of himself be clean from sin, and righteous, calls him ' abo- minable' and ' useless;' ' abominable' on account of the uncleanness of his stain, but ' useless' on account of the unrighteousness of an imperfect life; who however may be understood as ' abominable and useless' in another sense. For often a bad man seems to do some things rightly, but by those things which are wrong, even those which are right belonging to him are brought to nought; and because the evil ones are very displeasing to God, neither are those pleasing which seem to be good. And so he, that is ' abominable' before God in his evil things, is ' useless' in the good; in that whilst he shews himself an object of execration to God by wicked deeds, neither is that which seems right proceed- ing from him well- pleasing. And it is well said. Which drinketh iniquity like water. For what is eaten is swallowed not without delay, seeing that it is chewed in order to be swallowed; but what is drunk has no hindrance to be sw^allowed, in proportion as it hath again no need to be chewed. And so because sin is committed by the foolish man without any drawing back, iniquity is drunk like water.
For because he does unlawful things without fear, he swallows the draught of iniquity without let or hindrance. It goes on; Ver. 17. / will shew it thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare to thee.
40. All arrogant persons have this proper to them, that^xxv. when they have a right notion, though the thing be little, they wrest it to serve the turn of pride, and by the same act whereby from understanding they might to themselves bo raised higher, from swoln pride they only fall into the pit ofself- exalting, and account themselves better instructed than the learned, and they exact respect for themselves from' their 70 Heretics boast of Fathers superior to temptation.
Job 16, betters, and stand upon it to teach as with authority those * that are holier men. Hence it is now said, / will shew thee, Alleg. ' ' hear me. And because he teaches with less authority who tells things that he has heard, than he who tells those things which he has seen, in order that P^liphaz may claim to him- self the stronger kind of authority, he says, And that which I have seen I will declare. But because Heretics are some- times confounded by their fathers being condemned, and yet bring forward as it were with authority the sentences of those, by whose folly they are deservedly rejected; the very audacity of Heretics is itself rightly introduced, when it is said, Ver. 18. Wise men confess, and do not hide their fathers.
xxxvi. 41 And at once they leap out in praise of them, and boast that they had been as it were the only rulers of the Church. Hence it is yet further added, Unto whom alone the earth was given, and the stranger passed not among them. They think that ' the earth was given to their fathers alone,' in that the masters of their erroneous teaching alone really had rule in the Church. And who is termed * the stranger,' but the Apostate Angel? Whence too it is said by p8.54,3. the Psalmist concerning all the wicked spirits together; For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul. And so Heretics, because they think that the hearts of their doctors were not subject to the Apostate Angel, say that ' the stranger passed not among them.' For which same stranger to pass through each individual, is his putting wicked thoughts into his heart. And hence it is said by the voice of the Prophet of the evil spirits arrayed against Is- ^1) the soul standing erect, Which have said to thy soul. Bow down, that we 7nay go over. But whereas Eliphaz the Temanite, when going to tell some things, wishes to be heard, though he knows many things which were proper to be said, and yet does not know that they were not proper to be said to blessed Job, let us hear the sentences which he uttered against blessed Job. For neither ought we to con- sider the person to whom, but only what it was that he said. It goes on; Ver. 20. The wicked man feels proud all his days.
xxxvii. 4*2. The Elect also are apt to feel pride in some of their IThe Elect, if they ever feel pride, leave it off, i\ thoughts and actions. But because they are Elect persons, Book they cannot feel pride all their days, because before they -— — '— end their lives, they turn their hearts from self-exaltation to the fearing of humility. But ' the wicked man feels pride all his days,' in that he so brings his life to an end, that he never departs from self-exalting. He looks round him on all that is flourishing in time, and he neglects to consider whither he is being carried for ever. He puts his trust in the life of the flesh, and thinks that those things continue for long, which he holds at the moment. His mind is set firm in self-exaltation, every one of his kin is brought into contempt, how suddenly death creeps upon him he never takes thought, how uncertain his happiness he never reflects; whereas if he did but turn his eyes to the uncertainty of fleeting life, he would never keep for a certainty things uncertain. And hence it is well added; And the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
43. For he ought not to have felt pride at all, even if he xxxviii, might have had the number of his years assured, so that knowing how long he should live, he might know before- hand when to withdraw himself from self-exaltation. But since the present life is always uncertain, death's creeping upon him ought always to be apprehended the more, inso- much as it can never be foreseen. And he rightly calls the pride of the wicked, ' tyranny.' For he is justly styled a tyrant, who in the commonwealth takes the lead without right. And be it known that every proud man, according to his several measure, exercises tyranny. For what sometimes one person practises in the commonwealth, in this case, by power of high office accorded to him, another in a province^ another in a city, another in his own family, this same another by concealed wickedness practises to himself in the thought of his own heart. Nor does the Lord regard what amount of evil each person may be able to do, but what amount he may have the mind to do. And when the power is want- ing without, he is a tyrant within himself!, whom iniquity lords it over within; for though he does not oppress his neighbours outwardly, yet inwardly he seeks to possess power, in order to oppress them; and because Almighty God considers the hearts of men, the wicked man has already done in 72 The wicked full of suspicion and uncertainty.
Job 15, his eyes the thing that he conceived. Now our Creator -- — '— willed that our end should be hidden from us with this view, Lit. Moral, that whercas we are uncertain when we may die, we may always be found ready for death. Hence after it has been said. All his days the wicked man feels proud, he rightly adds, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
As if it were said in plain words, ' Wherefore is he lifted up as if on the grounds of a certainty, the tenure of whose life is held under the penalty of uncertainty?' But Almighty God not only reserves future punishments for those that live wickedly, but even here, where they go wrong, he besets their hearts with punishments, that by this alone, viz. that they sin, they should be smiting themselves, and that always trembling, always full of suspicion, they should be afraid of meeting with those mischiefs from others, which they remember themselves to have done to others. Whence it is yet further added of this wicked one; Ver. 21. A dreadful sound is alway in his ears, and when there is peace, he suspecteth plots.
xxxix. 44. But there is nothing more happy than simplicity of heart, in that in proportion as it shews forth innocency towards others, there is nothing it dreads to meet with from others. For it has its simplicity as a kind of citadel of strength, nor is it suspicious of undergoing what it has no remembrance of having itself done. Whence it is well said Prov.i4, by Solomon, In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence.
Prov.i5 Who also says again, A secure mind is like a perpetual ^^' feast. For ihe mere repose of security is like the continuance of refreshment. Whereas, on the other hand, the evil mind is always set in pains and labours, since it is either contriving mischiefs that it may bring down, or fearing lest these be brought down upon it by others; and whatever plot it hatches against neighbours, it is afraid of being hatched by neigh- bours against itself. It is on every side full of suspicions, on every side full of alarms. Every one that occurs to mind is supposed to be making out things hostile to him, and so he, to whom the repose of security is wanting, has surely ' a dreadful sound in his ears' always. Audit often happens thathis neighbour, whoever he be, speaks to him with a single inten- tion, and designs nothing hostile, but ' when there is peace, The Wicked fear, hut put off fear for the present. 73 he suspecteth plots;' in that he, who is always dealing craftily, Book calculates that there is not single dealing towards himself. ~ — — And whereas it is written. When the wicked man cometh Prov.is, into the pit of sinners, he contemneth, he being encompassed^* with the darkness of his iniquity henceforth despairs of light. Hence too it follows; Ver. 22. He believeth not that he shall return out of dark- ness, and he is waited for of the sword, 45. For because he believes himself to be on all sides xl. stricken from ambush, despairing of salvation, he is ever growing on in wickedness. Now there are times too when this ungodly man turns his eyes to judgments from above as well, and dreads their coming upon him. But whilst he seeks the wages of the present life, these same judgments which he had begun to fear, being conquered by the madness of avarice, he sets at nought. And he thinks indeed that it I is possible he may die in sin, but yet he does not cease from sin. Hence it is subjoined; Ver. 28. When he has stirred himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready in his hand.
46. For ' bread' is the wages of the present life, and ' the day xli. of darkness' is taken for the time of vengeance. And so in the course of his conduct, the wicked man at times weighs well the present wrath of the Judge Above, but he is not diverted from wickedness, so that it too should be itself diverted from his destruction. But his conscience accusing him, he fears to be smitten, yet he is ever increasing that whereby he should be smitten. He makes slight of his return, he despairs of pardon, he carries himself high in sin, yet he has fear within, a witness of his wickedness. And though he seem outwardly to be doing wicked things with a bold front, yet for these in his own heart he is untrained to tremble. Whence it is written; For whereas wickedness is ^isd.
timorous, she gives witness to condeynnation. For when a^'^'^^* ; man does unlawful things, he is in dread of the thing that he I does; and the open witness for his condemning is the very \ fearfulness of wickedness itself, in that both the thing that is done is feared, and yet the evil that is feared is not overcome.
. Of which it is yet further added, 74 Bad men know that their devices may fail them.
Job 16, Ver. 24. Trouble shall make hhn afraid^ straits shall ~1li7~ besiege him, as a, king ready to the battle, MoiiAL. 47. In all that the wicked man does, he is hedged in with ^ anguish, and tribulation, and straits; in that his soul is con- founded with anxiety and misgiving. One man secretly longs to seize another's goods by force, and he toils and strains in the thoughts of his heart, that he may not be found out. Another man, forsaking truth, makes up his mind to tell a lie, that he may deceive the mind of those that hear him; but what great labour it is to guard with sufficient heed, that his deceit itself may not be found out! For he sets before his eyes what answer may be made to him by those that know the truth, and with great effort of thought he makes out how by the appliances of falsehood he may surpass the evidences of truth. He cloaks himself about on this side and on that, and against that wherein he might have been found out, he looks about for an answer resembling truth, whereas if he had been minded to tell the truth, assuredly he might have done it without pains. For the path of truth is smooth, and the road of falsehood grievous.
Jer.9,5. And hence it is said by the Prophet, They have taught their tongue to speak lies, and wearied themselves to commit iniquity. Therefore it is well said. Trouble shall make him afraid., and straits besiege him; in that in himself he is undone in the toilsomeness of fear, who forsakes the way of truth, which is the companion of security. And he is rightly compared to a king prepared for battle^ seeing that in that very evil that he does he is at once alarmed and presses on; at once made to tremble by conscience, and to pant from desire; fears, and swells high; is scared with misgivings, and lifts up his spirit in audacity. Moreover, we are to know that * a king who is prepared for battle' is so apprehensive against the enemy, that he also fears for that very army which he is leading, lest it should be seduced, lest by the desertion of his soldiers he be laid open to the darts of the enemy. And so * the wicked man is besieged with straits, like a king ready to the battle;' in that whilst practising false things and utter- ing false words, he dreads lest he should lose his own soldiers; i. e. the appliances of falsehoods; and lie exposed The Jinally luicked set tJicviselvcs stoutly against God. 75 lo tlie darts of truth, if it chance that that be lacking to him, Book which he might have to oppose on the side of deceit. But though the spirit trembles, though conscience accuses, yet the wicked man is mastered by his own passion; and forcing under fear, he assumes hardihood from his iniquities. And often when revenge is set before his mind, he lifts himself up against God; he determines to undergo any inflictions at His hands, so long as in this life, while he has the power, he may do all that he pleases. And hence it is added; Ver. 25, 26. For fie hath stretched out his hand against God, and is strengthened against the Almighty; He runneth upon Him with erected neck, and he is armed with a stout neck.
48. These things are more plainly understood of the head xliii. of the wicked himself, i. e Antichrist, who, while lifting up his hand against God, is said to be ' strengthened,' in that for a little time he is permitted to be exalted; that in pro- portion as he is let to glory for a while, he may be punished the more pitilessly for everlasting; but seeing that all the wicked are his members, this, which he then in the end of the world shall do alone in a preeminent way, let us see how it is done now by each one of the wicked severally. Thus there are some who even if they do ever set themselves to do things in opposition to the judgment of Almighty God, disabled by the very impossibility of putting their will in ex- ecution, look to themselves, and are made to turn themselves to Him Whom they were minded to despise, and they, who might have gone far from Him,if they had been able to execute what they were minded to do, are sometimes hereby saved, because they could not execute what they wickedly had the mind for; and hence being brought back to themselves, they see what condition they are of, and mourn that they had the mind to do things contrary to ^ Truth.' And there are some, who by the just judgment of God are suffered to execute \\\\\\ worse wickedness that which they wickedly desire to do in opposition to God. And whilst an evil disposition inflames, and power strengthens them, they are henceforth unable to attain to know themselves in their erring course, in pro- portion as in the affluence of their fortunes they are by power ever being drawn out of themselves. Concerning the 76 The * stout necW of the Wicked is wealthy pride.
Job 15, bent of wliose mind it is here said, For he sire tcheth forth — '——his hand against God, and is strengthened against the MonAL. Almighty. For ' to stretch forth the hand against God,' is to persevere in evil doing, setting at nought the judgments of God. And because God is then more wroth, when He suffers that to be fulfilled, which thing ought not to have been con- ceived at all in thought, this wicked man is ' strengthened against the Almighty,' in that he is suffered to prosper in his wicked course of conduct, so that he should both do wicked things, and yet live in happiness. Of whom it is yet further added. He runneth upon Him with erected neck.
49. To ' run against God with erected neck' is to commit with shamelessness such things as are displeasing to the Creator. Of whom it is rightly said. He ran^ i. e. in doing evil, he had no let or hindrance from adversity. Concern- ing whom it is yet further added; And he is armed with a 1 pingui stout neck ^ ' A stout neck' is wealthy pride, as being cervice. buttressed up with overflowing stores, as it were with a quantity of flesh. And so the bad man with power ' is armed against God with a stout neck,' in that swollen with temporal good things he is set up as by a great bulk of flesh against the precepts of truth. For what is poverty but a sort of leanness, and what is the abundance of stores but the fatness of the present life? And so he lifts himself up ' with a stout neck against God,' who takes temporal abundance to serve the end of pride. For the powerful and wicked have this thing proper to them, that being engrossed with deceitful riches they neglect the true riches of God, and in proportion as they investigate the less what is true, they are the more lifted up by false acquisitions. For the care and concern of earthly things, because it engrosses, utterly blinds the sight. Whence it is yet further added with justness, Ver. 27. Fatness hath covered his face, xliv. ^^- For the sight is in the face, wherein too is the first more honourable part of the body. Therefore the bent of the mind is not unjustly denoted by the face, which wherever we turn it, there we see. And so ' fatness covers the face,' in that the earnestly coveted abundance of earthly good things presses down the eyes of the mind, and that which * Sides' of the wicked ''fat'' with evil followers. 77 should be honourable '' in them, it makes foul in the eyes of Book God, in that it weighs it to the earth with a multitude of - concerns. Who do not however find it enough that they themselves should be full of pride, unless those too that are united to them, themselves also are made boastful by their fatness. For there are some who on being countenanced by the patronage of the greater ones, are set up with pride, and on the strength of their power uplifted against the destitute. Hence it is yet further subjoined; And the fat hangs from his sides.
51. Because the fat is the richness of the flesh, and we are xlv. accustomed to call those persons the ' sides'^ of the rich, whom i latera we see united to them, ' the fat hangs down from his sides,' in that every one that attaches himself to the powerful and wicked man is by his power himself also as it were swollen with the fatness of good things, so that following the wicked- ness of an evil patron he has no fear of God, he distresses the poor, whom he is able, and as much as he is able, and uplifts his heart on the strength of temporal glory. So when there is such an one who is attached to a powerful wicked man, ^ from his side,' surely enough, ' the fat hangs down.' Concerning whom it is yet further added; Ver. 28. And he dwelleth in desolate communities, and in descried houses, which are become heaps.
5*2. For as a ' community' has its name from the intercourse xlvi. of persons living together in common, ' desolate communities' are the actual throngs of wicked followers, by whose shouts this bad man is commended, when he is hurried away by his wickedness into evil deeds. Whence it is written; 7%ePs.io,3. sinner is commended in the desires of his soul, and he that doeih unrighteousness is blessed. But ' deserted houses' are bad thoughts, which this wicked man inhabits, in that by all that he does he seeks to please the thoughts of the wicked. Which communities are rightly called ' desolate,' and houses * deserted,' in that except Almighty God had abandoned the dealings and thoughts of such on account of their previous sins, they would never arrive at the commission of worse ones. And it is well said. Which are reduced to heaps. For the ruined buildings of houses and cities make heaps; •' A. B. C. D. more honourable.
78 The JViched takes no root in the eternal Ijand.
Job 15, in that whilst the wicked severally are joined to one another for wicked deeds in confused courses of conduct, they shew Lit. Moral, without doubt, that they have fallen from the edifice of" life.