I evil living, revive, with sudden affection, to a hope of heaven, and they who had dissipated themselves by sinful conduct, bring themselves back, by self reproof, to the bosom of inward repentance. And men still looking back to this conduct, think them still to be such, as they knew them to be in behaviour. But they themselves, on the other hand, by the examination of strict consideration, attack their former life as they remember it to have been; and it is known what they were, but what they have now begun to be is not known. In both then of these classes it is frequently the case, tliat both they who in the judgment of men seem to stand, are already fallen in the sight of the Eternal Judge: and that those who are still fallen before men, already stand firm in the sight of the Eternal Judge. For what man could suppose that Judas, even after tlie ministry of the apostle- ship, would lose his portion in life? And who would believe, on the other hand, thit the thief would find a means of life even at the very instant of his death? But the Judge . secretly presiding, and discerning the hearts of these two persons, mercifully established the one, and justly crushed the other. He cast forth the one with severity, He drew the other within of His mercy. And hence in announcing even by liis Prophet, that some would fall and others be raised up at the lime of His passion. He well says, / mingled M// Pa. 102, drink wilJt. weeping. For drink is drawn in from without, ' but weeping pours out from within. For the Lord then to mingle drink with weeping, is for Him to draw some within, from outward things, and to cast off others from an inward to an outward condition. He shall break in pieces, then, many and iiifhout tiumber, and shall make others to stand in their stead.
'20. But, as was said before, this breaking is first wrought ] 10 How the heart is (/radualhj broken down hy sin. I Jon 34, within, in order to its being ari(;r\vanls displayed wiiliout. I __L.L_ ]5y tliis breaking tlie outward ])arts of some sometimes; appear to be still sound, while the inward parts have already ] Prov.iG, rotted away. For it is written, Before ruin the heart is \ exalted. They are smitten then on the very point in which they i Ez. 6, 9. are proud. Whence it is written, / have broken their heart nJiich committeth fornicaliori^ and which departeth from \ Me. For to delight outwardly in forbidden objects, is to; commit fornication within. But this very pride of the, haughty man is a great crushing of his heart. For he falls i from the integrity of sound health, just as he is puffed up with pride, on account of any virtue. For proud men despise! God, and, forsaking the glory of the Creator, seek their own. And, for them to have lost the support of their superior, and to i have sunk back on themselves, is for them to have already I fallen. They are crushed too because, having abandoned the ' things of heaven, they seek the earth.- For what greater: crushing can there be, than, having forsaken the Creator, to' seek the creature, having forsaken the joys above, to be eager only for things below? Whence it is well said by the Ps. 147, Prophet, Bui He humbles sinners even to the earth. For; when they have lost heavenly things, every thing which theyj thirst after is earthly, and while they endeavour to seem greater, that which they seek after is of less value. Ofj Jer. 17, whom it is well said by Jeremiah, Departing from Thee they\ shall be written in the earth. But it is said on the other j Lukeio, hand of the Elect, Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. TJiis crushing, then, first steals on in the mind,| in order that it may afterwards advance in outward act. \t\ shakes first the foundation of the thoughts, in order to!
smite afterwards the fabric of conduct. We must labour; therefore with the greatest care, in order that it may be] avoided in the place where it takes its rise. For it is] Prov. 4, written. Keep thy heart with all watchfulness, because life\ M*f 15 proceedethfrom it. And it is written again. From the heart 19. proceed evil thoughts. We must watch, therefore, within, lest the mind should fall, when it is exalted. Let us guard: within all that we do without. For, if once the rottenness of| pride has eaten into the marrow of the heart, the empty] husk of outward appearance speedily falls. But we must; I Fear of being ^ in the Churchy beyond the number of the Elect. Ill observe, that, while some are said to receive strenp^th to Book stand firm, when others fall, the number of the Elect is — - — ^ shewn to be fixed and definite. Whence it is said also, to the Church of Philadelphia, through its Angel, Hold fast ^^^"^-^y that ichich thou hast, that another take not thy crown.
21. By this announcement then, in which it is said, that the life of some is exalted, and that of others is crushed, both the hope of the humble is cherished, and the pride of the haughty brought low: since those can forfeit the good qualities of which they are proud, and these enjoy the good things, which they were despised for not possessing. Let us trtmble, then, at the blessings we have received, and not despair of those who have not yet obtained them. For we know what we are to-day; but we know not what we may become after a little while. But these persons whom, per- chance, we despise, can begin late, and yet surpass our conduct, by their more fervent zeal. We must fear, there- fore, lest he should rise, even on our fall, who is now derided by us, who are standing firm: although, indeed, he knows not how to stand firm himself, w-ho has learned to ridicule him, who is yet unsteady. But the Apostle Paul, enforcing this dread of heavenly judgments, into the hearts of his disciples, says, Let him that thinketh lie startdeih, i Cor.
take heed lest he jail. But by saying, He breaketh in pieces, ' and by adding immediately, uifhout number, he desired either to express the number of the reprobate, which sur- passes the amount of human calculation; or he, certainly, wished to point out, that all who perish are not reckoned in the number of the Elect, and that they are therefore innu- merable, as running beyond the number. Whence the Prophet, on beholding that as many, at this period of the Church, believe only in appearance, as it is doubtless certain exceed the number and amount of the Elect, declares, They are multiplied above number. As though he were saynig to many who are entering the Church, Even those come to the faith in appearance only, who are excluded from the number of the kingdom, because in truth they surpass by their multiplicity the number of the Elect. Whence also it is said by the Prophet Jeremiah, The city shall 6^Jer. 31, built to the Lord, from t(ie tower of Ananehel, even to the 1 1 2 Citij of (iod hero, exceeds its measure. Judicial /dindness.
Job Zi,(jale of the corner, and it roill go forth beyond the standard — _ — of measure. For no one in truth is ignorant tliat Jloly Church is tlK3 city of the Lord. But Ananchcl is inter- preted the grace of God, and tuo walls meet together in a corner. The city of tlic Lord is said therefore to be built from the tower of Ananchel, even to the gale of the corn(n*: because Holy Church, beginning from the loftiness of Divine grace, is built up, as far as to the entrance of both ])eoples, namely, Jew and Gentile. But because, as its members increase, reprobates also are included therein, it is fitly added, And it will go forth beyond the standard of measure: because it is extended even to those who, transgressing the standard of justice, are not within tlie number of the heavenly measure. Whence it is said also to the same Church by Isaiah, Is.54,3. F(9r tho}i shall spread forth on the right ha)uf and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles. For it is extended in so great a multitude of Gentiles, to the right • hand, when it admits some to be justified. And it is ex- tended to the left also, when it admits into itself some who will even remain in sin. On account of this multitude, which lies beyond the number of the Elect, the Lord says in Mat.20,the Gospel, Many are called but few are chosen. But, because some are crushed, while others are chosen, in con- sequence of the deserts of the su.fFerer, and not from the Rom. 3, injustice of Him who punishes, (for God is not unjust, Who injiicteth wrath,) it is fitly subjoined, Ver. 25. For He knoweth their works, and therefore will He bring night on them, and they shall be crushed. ix. 22. It is specially to be understood, that every sinner is, in two ways, crushed in the night; either when he is struck by the suffering of punishment from without, or when he is blinded by a secret sentence within. He falls at night, when he loses for ever the light of life, by the last judgment.
Mat.22, Whence it is written. Bind him hands and feet, and send ^^' him into outer darkness. For he is then sent of force into outer darkness; because he is now blinded of his own will with darkness within. But, again, the sinner is crushed at night, when, condemned by the overthrow of former sin- ners, he finds not the light of truth, and knows not what he ought to do for the future. For everv sin, which is not Shi may be the cause or the punishment of sin. 113 speedily wiped out by penitence, is either a sin, and a cause Book of sin, or else a sin, and the punishment of sin. For a sin - which penitence does not wash away, soon leads on, by its very weight, to another. Whence it is not only a sin, but a sin, and a cause of sin. For, from that sin, a suc- ceeding fault takes its rise, by which the blinded mind is led on to endure greater bondage from another. But a sin which arises from a sin, is no longer merely a sin, but a sin, and a punishment of sin. Because Almighty God obscures, by a just judgment, the heart of a sinner, that he may fall into other sins also, through desert of his former sin. For the man whom He willed not to set free, He has smitten by forsaking him. That, then, is not improperly called the punishment of sin, which, in consequence of a just blindness having been inflicted from above, is committed by way of punishment for former offences. And it is the result of a system, ordained indeed above, but thrown into confusion by men's wicked- ness below, that a preceding sin is the cause of that which follows, and, again, a subsequent sin the punishment of that which precedes it. This seed, as it were, of error, Paul had clearly observed in the unbelieving and unstable, when saying. Who when they had known God^ glorified Him ^zo^Rom. i, as God., neither were thankful^ hut became vain in their ^^' thoughts. But he immediately added that which sprang up from this seed of error, saying. Wherefore God gave them up ^om. i, to the desires of their own heart unto uncleanness, to dis- honour their own bodies between themselves. For because, though knowing God, they wittingly committed the sin of pride, they are also so blinded as not to be aware of the sin they are committing. And they who are unwilling to follow their own understanding in sin, that is the cause of sin, are deprived of the light of understanding in sin, that is the punish- ment of sin. The pitfal of subsequent sins is covered over by the demerits of former sins, in order that he, who knowingly commits sin, may afterwards fall, even unwittingly, in other sins.
23. It is provided, in fact, that some faults are smitten with other faults, in order that their very growth in sin may be the punishment of sinners. For because Almighty God grants time for repentance, which human wickedness perverts, never- VOL. III. I 114 Permission to go on in sin, the heaviest judgment.
JoH 34, thclcss, to tlic ])racticc of its ouii iniquity, our guilt is doubt- — '-^ less permitted to increase by the just judgment of God, in order that it may be heaped up, for Jlim to strike it at last a heavier blow. Voy hence the Apostle Paul says again of 1 Thess. certain ])ersons, To Jill vp their sins <dw(iij. Hence it is Kev 22 ^'^^^^ ^^ John by the voice of the angel. He thai Jiurtelh let 11. Jlim hurt stilly he that is Jilthy let him he filthy still.
Ps. 69, Hense David says, Add iniquity unto their iniqni/y, that '' they may not enter into Thy righteousness. Hence again it Ps. 78, is said of the Lord by the same Psalmist, Suggestions'^ by evil ijmm'iS'^^^^O^^^ He made a way for the path of His anger. For the siones. Lord justly permits the heart which has been weighed down by former demerits, to be deceived also by the subsequent persuasions of malignant spirits, for, when it is deservedly led into sin, its guilt is increased in its punishment. Whence also the Lord is said to have made a way for His wrath out of a patli. For a way is broader than a path. But to make out of a path a way for His wrath, is, by strictly judging to extend the causes of His wrath, that they who refused, when enlightened, to act rightly, may, when justly blinded, still so act as to deserve a greater punishment. Hence it is said by Gen. 15, jVioses, The sins of the Amorites are not yet fall. Hence Peut. the Lord says by the same Moses, For their vine is of the ^^^'^~~ vineyard of Sodom i and their stock is of Gomorrah. Their grape is a grape of gall, and the cluster of bitterness is in them. Their wine is the fury of dragons and the rage of asps, wJiich cannot be healed. Are not all these tilings stored up with Me, and sealed up in My treasures'^ In the day of vengeance I will repay them. How many of their sins has He revealed, and yet He immediately subjoins, In the time when their foot shall have stumbled. Behold, their most abominable misdeeds are described, and yet for the day of vengeance, their subsequent fall is looked forward to, whereby their faults are to be heaped up to the full. They already have enough to deserve punishment; but their sin is still suffered to increase, in order that, sinning, a heavier punishment may torture tliem. Sin, the cause of sin, already deserves punishment; but it is still deferred, in order that sin, the punishment of sin, may supply an increase of suffering.
24. But frequently one and the same sin is also a sin such as Progress from sin to sin. God blinds, as not enlightening, 1 15 is both a punishment, and a cause of sin. We shall Book make this more plain, by bringing forward some instances. -1^ — - For unrestrained gluttony excites the fulness of the flesh to the heat of lust. But lust, when connnitted, is frequently concealed either by perjury or murder, for fear it should be punished by the vengeance of human laws. Let us suppose to ourselves then, that a man has given the reins to his gluttony, that,-being overcome by his gluttony, he has com- mitted the sin of adultery, that being detected in adultery, he has secretly murdered the husband of the adulteress, lest he should be brought to judgment. This adultery then, standing between gluttony and murder, springing from the one, and giving being to the other, is a sin, and both the punishment, and the cause of sin also. It is in truth a sin of itself, but the punishment of sin, because it has increased the guilt of gluttony; but it is the cause of sin, because it also gave birth to the subsequent murder. One and the same sin, then, is both the jDunishment of the preceding, and the cause of the subsequent, sin: because it both condemns past sins, while it adds to their amount, and sows the seeds of future sins, to deserve condemnation. Because then the eye of the heart is blinded by previous sins, that blindness which confuses the mind of the sinner, by condemning him for his former offence, is properly designated ' night:' because by this the light of truth is concealed from the eye of the sinner. It is therefore well said, For He hnoweth their works, and therefore will He bring night on them, and they shall be crushed. Because, as has been often observed, they doubt- less commit previous offences, in order that they should be involved again in sin by the darkness w^hich follows, so that they are now as unable to behold the light of righteous- ness, as they were unwilling to behold it when they were able. But the Lord is said to bring night on them, not because He Himself brings on the darkness, but because He does not enlighten in His mercy the darkened hearts of sinners. So that His having blinded men in the night is His not having willed to deliver them from the gloom of blindness. It follows, Ver. 26. He hath smitten them as ungodly men, in the place of beholders.
116 Evil men smitten^ though placed ichere God is seen.
Job 34, 25. In lioly Scripture the word * as,' is wont to be used, ' — sometini(;s for rcsomblanco, soinotirncs for reality. For it is 2 Cor 6 "^^^^ ^*^^" r<-'s<-'iid)lance, as when the Apostle says, As sorrowful, 1^- yet alway rejolcuig: but for the reality, as John says. We 14. ' beheld His (jlory, the (jlory as of the Only-Bey ollen of the Falher. lUit in this passage it makes no difference, whether it is put for resemblance, or reality: for, in whatever way it is taken, the evil life of the wicked is plainly signified. But holy Scripture specially calls unbelievers ' ungodly.' For sinners are distinguished from ungodly by this difference, that though every ungodly man is a sinner, yet every sinner is not ungodly. For even a man who is godly in the Faith ]Johni,can be called a sinner. Whence John says, If we say that we have no sin, ive deceive ourselves. But a man is properly called ' ungodly' w^ho is estranged from the holiness of Ps. ], 5. religion. For of such the Prophet says. The ungodly shall not rise vp in the judgment. But Holy Church is called the place of beholders. For people rightly assemble therein, in order that the True Light, which is God Himself, may be Ex. 33, seen. Whence it is said to Moses, There is a place by Me, ^^•^^' and thou shall stand upon a rock, when My Majesty ib. 23. passeth by. And shortly afterwards, / will take away My hand, and thou shall see My back parts. For, by the place, is typified the Church, but by the rock, the Lord, but by Moses, the multitude of the people of Israel, which did not believ^e, when the Lord was preaching upon earth. It stood, therefore, on the rock, beholding the back of the Lord, as He was passing by: because in truth having been brought into Holy Church, after the Passion and Ascension of the Lord, it obtained a knowledge of the faith in Christ, and beheld the back parts of Him, Whose presence it had not seen. Let it be said, then, of those whom Divine Vengeance finds within Holy Church, still persisting in their iniquities; let it be said of these, whose conduct Paul describes thus, Tit. 1, Who confess that they know God, but in words they deny Him: let it be said of these, He hath smitten them AS nugodly in the place of beholders. For they were standing in that place, where they seemed to see God. They loved darkness in that very place, where the light of truth is beheld. And although they had had their eyes opened in Holo sin and hypocrisy lead to iinhelicf. 117 faith, yet thev kept them closed in their works. Whence it Book . XXV is also well said of Judita, Her watchmen are blind, because, 7^.^ ' nanielv, they did not behold in works that which they saw in 10.
profession. Whence it is written also of Balaam, ^PTio Num.
falling hath his eyes open. For, falling in works, he kept ' his eyes open in contemplation. In like manner these also, who open their eyes in faith, and who see not in works, who are placed, from their appearance of piety, within the Church, are found, by their ungodly conversation, without the Church. Of whom it is well written in another place, I saw the nngodly buried, uJio when they ivere alive, fcere Eccles.
in the holy place, and were praised in the city, as men of ' ' just works.
26. But the very tranquillity of the peace of the Church conceals many under the Christian name, who are beset with the plague of their own wickedness. But if a light breath of persecution strikes them, it sweeps them away at once as chafi" from the threshing floor. But some persons wish to bear the mark of Christian calling, because, since the name of Christ has been exalted on high, nearly all persons now look to appear faithful, and from seeing others called thus, they are ashamed not to seem faithful themselves; but they neglect to be that which they boast of being called. For they assume the reality of inward excellence, to adorn their outward appearance: and they who stand before the heavenly Judge, naked from the unbelief of their heart, are clothed, in the sight of men, with a holy profession, at least in words.
27. But some persons maintain the faith in their inmost heart, but are not careful to live faithfully. For they assail in their conduct that which ihey reverence in profession. And it frequently happens that they lose, by Divine judg- ment, even that which they wholesomely believe, through the wickedness of their lives. For they unceasingly pollute themselves by wicked deeds, and do not believe that the vengeance of just judgment can fall in retribution upon this conduct. And frequently, when they neglect to live strictly, they fall into unbelief, even when no one persecutes them. For they who do not believe that a strict judgment is hanging over them, who imagine that they can sin, without being 118 JEvil spirits Jin I sk their work by removing faith.
Job 34, punished for it; how can they either V^e, or be called, faith- '— ful? For to believe that due punishment cannot be inflicted on their unrcpented wickedness, is to have lost their faith. Because then they scorn to maintain works worthy of faith, they lose even the faith v/hich they seemed to pos- sess. And the language of destroying enemies over these is fitly mentioned by the Prophet, under the character of Ps. 137, Jerusalem. For it is said by them, 7^/a^^ her void, make ^' her void, even to the foundation thereof. For Paul says, 1 Cor. Other foundation can no man lay but that which is laid, ' * which is Christ Jesus. Destroying enemies, then, make Jerusalem bare, even to the foundation, when evil spirits, having first destroyed the edifice of good works, draw away also the firm foundation of religion from the hearts of the faithful. For works are built on failh, as a building on a foundation. To have laid bare then even to the foundation, is, after having overthrown good works, to have scattered the strength of faith. Hence also it is said to Judaea by Jeremiah, Jer. 2, The sons also of Memphis and Taphnis have polluted thee even to the head. For to be polluted even to the head, is, after a habit of evil deeds, to be corrupted in the very sublimity of the faith. For when abandoned spirits involve the soul of any one in wicked works, but cannot pollute the integrity of his faith, they pollute, as yet, the inferior members, as it vvere, but reach not to the head. But whoever is corrupted in the faith, is at once defiled even to the head. For a malignant spirit reaches, as it were, from the inferior even to the higher members, when, defiling the outward conduct, it corrupts with the disease of unbelief the pure loftiness of the faith.
Because then all these things are hidden from the eves of menj but are o])en to the sight of God, and many die, without faith, in this abode of failh itself, let it be rightly said. He hath smitten them as ungodly men, in the place of beholders. For they exhibit themselves, before men in the Church, as godly persons, but because they cannot escape the Divine judgments, they are smitten as ungodly. And it tends to increase their punishment, that each of them, having been thrown together with the faithful in the Church, wittingly despised the verity of the faith. And a heavier punishment follows them, as the knowledge of good living also attends Si7is of ignorance, of irifirmityi and of set purpose. 119 them in the examples of righteous men. For the righteous Book and faithful brethren ^Yho are now set before them, are so ~ '- many witnesses to assail them in the coming judgment. They know, therefore, that which they neglect to Ibllow. Whence it is also filly subjoined, Ver. 27. Who departed from Him, as it were on purpose.
28. For we must understand that a sin is committed in xi. three ways. For it is perpetrated either through ignorance, or infirmity, or of set purjjose. And we sin more grievously fi'om infirmity than through ignorance, but much more grievously of set purpose than from infirmity. Paul had sinned from ignorance, when he said, Who was before a * Tim. blasphemer, and a j)ersecutor, and injurious, but I obtained ' tnercy, because 1 did it ignorantly in unbelief, But Peter sinned through infirmity, when the single word of a damsel Mat.26, shook in him all that strength of faith, which he had spoken ^^j^l 33^ of to the Lord, and when ho denied, with his voice, the Lord Whom he held firm in his heart. But because a sin of infirmity or ignorance is wiped away the more easily, as it is not wilfully committed, Paul amended by knowledge the points on which he was ignorant: and Peter strengthened the root of faith which was moved, and, as it were, withering ibid. 75. away, by watering it with his tears. But those persons sinned intentionally, of whom the Master Himself said, If I had not come, and spoken unto ihem, tliey would not 3o\in have sin, but now they have 'no excuse for their sin. And a ^* little after, Tliey have both seen, and hated, both Me and M?/ Ibid. 24. Father. For not to do good is one thing, to hate a teacher of goodness another: as it is one thing to sin from pre- cipitancy, and another thing to sin deliberately. For a sin is often conmiitted from precipitation, which yet is condemned on thought and deliberation. For it frequently happens that a man through infirmity loves what is right, and cannot perform it. But to sin deliberately is neither to love nor to do what is good. As it is therefore sometimes a heavier offence to love sin than to commit it, it is, in like manner, more sinful to hate righteousness", than not to have performed it. There are some then in the Church, who so far from doing good, even persecute it, and who even detest in others, what they neglect to do themselves. The sin of these 120 Wil/'nl ujnorance. Knowledya thrust in man's way.
Job 34, persons is in truth not committed from infirmity or ignorance, — but of int(3ntion alone: because, namely, if they wished to do what is right, and were unable, they would at least love in others, what they neglect in themselves. For were they but only to wish for it themselves, they would not hate it when done by others. But because they despise in their lives, and persecute with severity the very same good qualities which they know and hear of, it is rightly said, Who departed from Him of purpose. Whence also it is rightly subjoined.
And woidd not understand any of His ways.
xii. 29. For he says not, they understand not through infirmity, but they woidd not understand; because men frequently also despise the knowledge of those things, which they are Lulei2,too proud to do. For since it is written, The servant that * knew not his Lord's will., and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes, and the servant which knew his Lord''s will, and did not according to it, shall be beaten icith many stripes, they consider that their ignorance secures impunity for their sin. But they are doubtless overwhelmed wdth the darkness of pride alone, and therefore discern not, because it is one thing to have been ignorant, another to have refused to leam. For not to know is only ignorance, to refuse to learn is pride. And they are the less able to plead ignorance in excuse, the more that knowledge is set before them even against their will. Whence Prov. 8, it is said by Solomon, Doth not wisdom cry, and prudence ^ ' ^' put forth her voice, standi?ig on the top of lofty places, above the way, in the middle of the paths? We might perhaps be able to pass along the way of this present life, in ignorance of this Wisdom, if She had not Herself stood in the corners of the way.