always beginning, in his speech, in order, by this very beginning, to keep his hearers in suspense, so that they may be the more attentively silent, the more they expect, as it were, to hear some new thing. But Eliu, finishing one sub- ject, begins another without delay, in order that his loquacity may be continued without limit, by beginnings being con- stantly joined on. It follows, Ver. 2. Doth thy thought seem right to thee, that thou saidst, I am more righteous than God. X. 15. Every one observes, who reads the text of the history, that blessed Job did not say that he was more righteous than Job 23, God. But he says. Let Him put forth equity against me, " ^' and my judgment shall come to victory. Examining namely his life, and not knowing the reasons of his smiting, as has been often observed, he believed that he was scourged for the sake of washing away his sins, and not of increasing his merits. And he was therefore confident, that his judgment would come to victory, because he found in himself no fault, for which he deserved to be smitten. AVhich thing indeed the Job 2,3. Lord also said of him to the devil; Thou hast moved Me against him, to afflict him without cause. What had he sinned then, by speaking thus, who, unknowingly, agreed, in these words, with the divine and secret sentence upon himself? Or what harm is there, if, in the judgment of men, our words differ, on the surface, from the exactness of truth, when, in that on which they turn in the heart, they are cordis closely joined to, and agree with, it. The ears of men con- sider our words to be such as they sound outwardly, but the divine judgments hear them as they are uttered from our inmost heart. Among men, our heart is judged of from our words, but with God, our words are judged of from our heart. Whilst blessed Job, then said without, that, which God said within, he justly uttered every thing which he cardine Prophetic ground. Elm speaks tvell, bzit not to the case. 143 said, inasmuch as he, piously, did not diflvr from the Inner Book...XXVI sentence. Althougli in that whicli ho said, filled by the •' spirit of Prophecy, Let Him put forth Equity against me, and my Judgment shall come to victory, he might be looking for the presence of our Redeemer. For lie, Who is the Virtue and the Wisdom of the Father, may be, not impro- perly, considered as His Equity. Whence it is written, Who of God is made unto ns wisdo^n, and righteousness, and^^^"^- *» sane tifcat ion. And because, namely, God has placed this Equity against sinners who fly from Him, by exhibiting It Incarnate, He recalled them at once from their iniquity; and, in that judgment in which it found the Equity of God opposing its ways, mankind has overcome its ancient op- ponent. It follows, Ver. 3. For thou saidst, that which is right doth 7iot please thee, or what xoill it profit thee, if I shall have sinned.
16. If the whole course of the book is attended to, xi. blessed Job is proved to have said none of these things. But haughty men, as we have also said before, are wont to have this peculiarity, that while they go on in violent in- vective, they also speak falsely in their inveighing, and that, when they cannot justly blame the things which exist, they reprehend, in their falsehood, those which do not exist. It follows, Ver. 4. / icHl therefore ansv:er thy words, and thy friends with thee.
In his former saying, he mentioned culpable words, as if those of blessed Job, and derived from them matter for his remarks. But, in the words which follow, he examines, with great acuteness, that, which he craftily invented as matter to speak upon. And the sentiments which follow are powerful, but are not applicable to the character of blessed Job; and the shafts of this reproof strike him the less, the more unjustly they are launched against him. It follows, Ver. 5 — 7. Look unto the heaven, and see, and behold the sky, that it is higher than thou. Jfthou hast sinned, what wilt thou hurt LLim? If thine iniquities have been mul- tiplied, what wilt thou do against Him? If, moreover, thou hast acted justly, ivhal wilt thou give Him, or what will He receive of thy hand?
1 44 Onr distance heneatk God shewn by His works above.
Job 35, 17. Altlionpr}) these vvcjids ou^lit not to have been said to xu.
blessed Job, who liiiew greater truths, yet the tilings, which are said, are true, namely, that neither do our sins hurt God, nor our good deeds assist Him. Whence he followed, and added, (ver. 8.) Thine iniquih/ uill hurt a man that is like thee, and thtj righteousness will projit the son of man. TUit amongst these things we must carefully notice that which he says. Look into the heavens, and see, and behold the sky^ that it is hiijher than thou. For from speaking in this way he doubtless signifies, that Job should consider, how much less he could either benefit, or injure, God by his conduct, since he could neither benefit, nor injure, the loftiness oi the heaven, or of the sky. For although we can understand by the heaven, or the sky, the heavenly powers, who are ever steadily gazing on the sight of the Godhead, (in order that, when we behold that the angelic spirits arc still far distant from us, we may acknowledge how far we are distant below^, from the Creator and Lord of spirits Himself,) yet nothing prevents our understanding by them in this place the material substance of heaven and sky. For if we look attentively at outward things, we are recalled by their very means to inward things. For the wonderful works of the visible creation, are the footsteps of our Creator. For we cannot as yet behold Him Himself; but we are yet tending to a sight of Him, if we admire Him in these things which He has made. We call, therefore, the creation His footsteps, because we journey onwards towards Him by following up those Rom. 1, things which proceed from Him. Whence Paul says. The ^^' invisible things of Him are clearly seen^ being understood by the tilings that are made, even His eternal power and God- head. Whence atso it is written in the Book of W^isdom, Wisd. For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures the Maker ' ' qfthem. can be intelligently seen. For to our mind, which is through sin scattered abroad, God is not as yet made known within, as He really is. But while He sets before us from with- out the beauty of His creation, He gives us, as it were, certain hints, and shews what to follow within. He leads us on wonderfully by these same outward forms to inward things, He intimates with boundless admiration what He is, by shewing us these marvels without, which are not Himself.
The creatures, by which wefaU, made strps to our recover?/. 1 i5 For hence it is written of Wisdom, She fiJieiveih herself FiooK cheer full If unto them in the waus, and meeteth them in all\^,. ---* forethoucjht. IG.
18. For the works of the creation are, when considered, ways to the Creator. For when we see these things, which are made, we admire the ])ower of their Maker. Tn these ways we are met by Wisdom, widi all foretliought, because the power of om* Maker is set before us, to be enquired into, in every thing, which appears to have been wonderfully wrought. And wherever the soul turns itself, if it looks attentively, it finds God in the very same objects, through which it forsook Him; and again acknowledges His power, from a consideration of those objects, for the love of which it abandoned Plim. And it is recalled, when converted, by those things, by which, when perverted, it fell. For we make efforts to rise on the very spot where we fell, and in rising, we place, as it were, the hand of consideration on the spot, where, falling with the foot of slipj)ery love, we were lying prostrate through neglect. But because we have, by visible things, fallen from invisible, it is right that we should again strive, by visible things, to reach invisible; in order that what was to the soid a fall to the bottom, may be a step in turn to the summit, and that it may rise by the same paces by which it fell: while, as was before said, those objects, rightly considered, recal us to God, which, when improperly chosen, separated us from Him. Eliu, therefore, in order to apply the force of consideration, and to shew from bodily objects, how far higher is God than man, well observed. Look unto the heaven, and see, and behold the sky, that it is hii/her than thou. For we learn from these created and corporeal objects, how far we are distant from the loftiness of our Creator: because, by every thing which we behold, we are warned to be humble; in order that the beauty of the creature, when considered, may be, as it were, a kind of lesson to our mind. Let him say then, Look nnio the heaven, and see, and behold the sky, that it is higher than thou* If thou hast sinned, in what wilt thou hurt Him? If thine iniquities have been mul- tiplied, what ivilt thou do against Him? If, moreover, thou hast acted justly, what wilt thou give Him, or what will He receive of thy hand? As if he were saying. Understand from VOL. III. L 146 Angels between shew us distant. Man may harm man.
Job 35, the vcvy creatures, whicli thou seest by thy Vjodily senses, to '- — be higher than thyself, how far thou art removed from the loftiness of the Divine Power, and conclude, from this thy consideration, that thou canst neither benefit God by thy good living, nor, again, injure Him by thy evil deeds.
19. But if, as we before said, we understand the superior Powers by * heaven,' or the ^ sky,' Eliu, in these words, warns us to consider, that, because the angelic spirits themselves cannot fully contemplate the power of our Creator, (though it is certain that they are higher than ourselves, as not having fallen into the lowest depths,) we should hence infer, how far we are inferior to God, who are beneath even those sublime creatures, who are yet far His inferiors. As if he were to say, Lo! how widely thou art separated from the loftiness of the Godhead, from Whose might even those powers shrink in their humility, who surpass ihee with immeasurable loftiness; and how far inferior thou art to the Most High, who dis- cernest that thou art inferior to those, who are inferior to Him. But, by pointing out the highest objects, he brings to an equality, and says, Ver. 8. Thine iniquUy will hurt a man, who is like thee, and thy righteousness will profit the son of man. xiii. 20. The iniquity of man hurts him, w^hom it pollutes by perversion. And, again, our righteousness profits him, whom it converts from his wickedness. For those things cannot either hurt, or profit, which cannot either corrupt from what is good, or change from vvhat is evil. The powers above, then, cannot be either hurt, or profited, because they have already received to be free from change. But they who are involved in earthly desires, cannot consider these things. For it is difficult for minds, which are scattered abroad, to return to themselves; because evil ways detain them, more pleasurably, when once ensnared, the more every thing, which pleases them, is therein permitted. For no wall of discipline stands in the way to confine them, no punishment of retribution is looked forward to, to frighten them. But, when the eyes of the heart are closed, the soul is plunged the more surely into the low^est abyss, as it is shut out from the highest objects, and commits temporal sins more fear- lessly, the more obstinately it despairs of eternal blessings.
Persecutions of the wicked hasten the Elect in escaping. l47 21. But that wickedness of the reprobate, separating the Book life of the Elect, as corn from the chaff in threshing, * oppresses, that it may purify. For the wicked, whilst they afflict the good, release them the more from the desires of this world; because, while they heap on them many cruelties here, they compel them to hasten heavenwards. Which is well signified by the Jewish people, when Moses was sum- moning, and king Pharaoh raging against, them. For Moses was then sent to call them, when Pharaoh had been already urged to oppress them by hard labours: in order that the one, while summoning, might draw away, as it were, the. minds of the Israelites disgracefully clinging to Egypt, andEx.16,3. the other might urge them on, as it were, while raging: and that the people, which was disgracefully held in bondage, might be moved, either by being invited by blessings, or driven by sufferings. This occurs daily, while the reprobate are allowed to rage against the Elect, when heavenly rewards have been announced to tliem; in order, that, if we neglect to go forth, when called, to the land of promise, we may be compelled at least by raging oppressions; and, that this Egypt, that is, our present life, which oppressed us, when flattering, may aid, when pressing, us: and that, that which, when cherishing, crushed us with the yoke of bondage, may shew the way of liberty, while it tortures.
This is the special reason, why the righteous are allowed to be afflicted by the wicked, in order, namely, that while they hear of future blessings to desire, they may also suffer present evils to shudder at; and that, while love invites, torture may drive them to an easier escape. Whence Eliu, going on to speak of the same sufferings of the Elect, under the oppressions of the reprobate, says, Ver. 9. They will cry out, by reason of the multitude of^ caium- oppressors\ and will wail on account of the force of the ann''^^^^^^''^^' of tyrants. fui 2*2. We can rightly term all the ungodly * oppressors,' not^^^"'/* those only, who spoil our outward goods, but those, also, xiv. who endeavour by their wicked habits, and by the example of their reprobate life, to scatter our inward treasures. For those go about to attack the things, which are without us, but these seek to prey on us within. The one cease not to 148 Many assail the Christian life with hatred.
Job36, rago with love for our ^oods, tlic other witli hatred of our — *- — virtues. The one envy what we possess, tlie otliers the way we live. I'he one desire to spoil (jiir outward goods, because they like tliem, the others are busy in squandering our inward goods, because they dislike them. As the life, then, of our habits is superior to the substance of our goods, he is the greater o))pressor, who assaults our virtues, by wicked conduct, than he who injures our goods, by violently oppressing us. For though ho has withdrawn nothing from our support, yet he has set before us examples of perdition. He has inflicted on us, therefore, a heavier oppression, since he has roused our heart, when quiet, b}' temptation. And though he has not persuaded us to the works of his conduct, he has yet imposed on us a contest of temptation. We suffer therefore a heavy oppression from his life, because, doubtless, we suffer that vvithin, which we must overcome with difBculty. And because the life of the wicked abounds in this world, to torture us, it is well said, They vMl cry out by reason of the multitude of the oppressors, 23. But because they somi times endeavour to extort even by unrestrained violence, that which they cannot persuade by words, it is rightly subjoined, And will wail on account of the force of the arm of tyrants. For whoever compels us, by his example, to live wickedly, uses in our case, as yet, the voice of the oppressor. But whoever desires to frighten us also, when persuading us to sin, now rages against us with the arm of tjranny. For, to recommend vices by one's conduct, is one thing, to enforce it by terrors, is another.
When we look then at patterns of evil doing, we hear, thus far, as it were, the noise of the oppressor; but when we ' f\ CO- are by force compelled to sin, we endure at once a tyrant gimur j^ ^^^^ heart.
24. But the minds of the strong, which are stedfastly fixed in God, despise all these assaults, the more they discern that they rise up against the commands of their Creator For waiting for the rewards of eternity, they gain strengtl from their adversities, because, as the fight grows strong they doubt not that a more glorious victory awaits them Thus while the desires of the Elect are kept down, the make progress by adversity, just as the fire is blown back b Trials of opposition prove and strevgthen love. 149 the blast; in order to increase, and gains strength by the Book means, by which it appears to be extinguished. For we — ' sliew in this way, with what great desire for God we are inflamed, if we pass over to Him, not merely by tranquil and smooth, but even through rugged and hard paths. For hence the Prophet says, WJio hath made my feet likef^'^^> harts' feet. For, when a hart climbs mountain ridges, it passes over, with a bound, whatever rugged places it beholds, whatever spots, entangled with briars, oppose themselves, and rises up to higher ground, without any obstacle to its course. So also the minds of the Elect leap over, with the bound of contemplation, whatever they see obstructing, or opposing them in this world, and, despising the thorns of worldly anxieties, raise themselves, like hinds, to things above. Hence he says again. And by my God^ I shall pass Ps. 18, over a ivall. For ' a wall' is every thing thrown in our way, that we pass not over to Him, Whom we love. But we pass over a wall, when we trample down, for love of our heavenly country, whatever things have, in this world, been placed in our way. Hence the Lord says, by the same Prophet, to a struggling soul; 1 heard thee in the hidden place of the ^^'^^^ tempest^ I proved ihee at the icaters of contradiction. For it is * the hidden place of the tempest,' when the waves of tempting thoughts swell up in the contrite heart, when the tumults of worldly cares dash themselves against the zeal of holy love. He is heard, then, in the hidden place of the tempest, because this very agitation of tribulation, is the cry of suppliants. But, because there are never entirely wanting such, as endeavour to advise evil to those who are seeking for good, the waters of contradiction are opposing people. And because our desire is then proved, when it is opposed by any adversity, it is rightly said, / have proved thee at the waters of contradiction. By these efforts of virtues, then, the strong make progress, from adversity: but the weak, if any obstacles have been placed against them, often languish in their desires, and, w^hen assaulted by mighty tribulation, fail from cowardice. Whence Eliu, inflicting on blessed Job reproaches for his cowardice, having first mentioned the oppressions of the wicked, proceeds immediately to sj)eak of the cowardice of the weak, saying, 150 I'he weak trust not (Jod in troubles. Son/js in the night. Jon 35, VcT. 10. And Ila said nol^ Where is God, Who made mef XV. 25. It is tlic practice of Holy Scripture, to pass sudflenly from llie singular to the plural, aiKJ to turn itself from the plural to the singular. Whence I'^liu, when saying, They uill cry and wail, did not subjoin, They said not, Where is God? but. He said not, Where is God? For, coming from the plural to the singular, he suddenly passed over to the person of each of the weak. Perhaps because that is better discerned by individuals, which is heard spoken of them individually: so that each of them returns to his own heart, and blames in himself that, which is stated of each man one by one. He, therefore, retained the singular number, saying, He said not, WJtere is God, Who hath made me? For, whoever is crushed by the tribulation of adversities, does not look at Him, by Whom He was made. For He, Who made that, which was not, leaves it not, when made, without guidance: and He Who made man mercifully, does not permit him to be tormented unjustly. Nor does He carelessly suffer that, which is, to perish, Who also created that which was not, that it might be. When we ask, then, the cause of our tribulation, and perhaps too slowly discover it; there is this consideration, we can suffer nothing unjustly, because if, God being our Creator, we exist, w^ho before were not, God being our Ruler, we, who are, are not unjustly afflicted. It follows, Who hath given songs in the night, xvi. 26. A ' song in the night' is joy in tribulation; because, though afflicted with worldly oppressions, we yet now rejoice in the hope of eternity. Paul was announcing songs in the Rom.l2, night, saying, Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, ^^* David had taken up his song in the night, who was saying, Ps. 32, Thou art my hope from the oppression which hath sur- *' rounded me, my Exultation, deliver me from those wJio surround me. Lo! he calls oppression ' night,' and yet amidst his strailnesses, he calls his Deliverer, his Exultation. There was ' night' indeed without, in the encompassing of oppres- sions, but ' songs' were resounding within, from the conso- lation of joy. For, because we cannot return to eternal joys, except through temporal losses, it is the whole object of Hope mixed with, sorrow. Grovelliiifj Brutes. Vain fowls. 151 Scripture, that the hope of the joys, which will abide, should I^ook stieiiglheu us, amid these passing adversities. Whence also " the Prophet Ezekiel witnesses, that he had received a book, in which were written, lameniations, a sona. and ivoe. ForEzek.2, 10 what is signified by this ' book,' except the words of God? For since they enjoin on us tears and sorrow, lamentations are said to be written therein. They contain also a song and woe; for they so set forth joy from hope, as yet to announce oppression and difficulties in this present life. They contain a song and woe, because though we seek for what is sweet there, it is yet first necessary for us to endure bitternesses here. The Lord was preaching a song and woe to His disciples, when He was saying, These things 7 Johnie, have spoken inito j/oa, that in Me ye might have peace: in the world ye shall have irihulalioiu As though He were plainly saying. May you have an inward refreshment and consolation from Me, because cruel and heavy oppression will befal you from the world without. Because then, every feeble person, when oppressed, has, by reason of his great weakness of heart, but faint hope of joy, and, when suffering adversities without, forgets that, in which he used to rejoice within, it is well said, jHc? said not, Where is God IVho made me, Who hath given songs in the night? For, were he to say these words, he would moderate the violence which he suffers, and, by the lasting good he was seeking within, would consider, that the transitory pain he endures, is not intolerable. It follows, Ver. 11. Who leachelh lis more than the beasts of the earthy and instructethus more than the fowls of heaven.
27. The beasts of the earth are they, who seek the lowest xvii. things^ fi'om the habit of a carnal life. But the fowls of the heaven are they, who search into lofty things, with the eager- ness of a proud curiosity. These degrade themselves, by their conduct, below what they are in themselves; these exalt themselves, by their enquiries, beyond what they are able. The pleasure of the flesh casts down those to the very bottom, the lust of curiosity exalts these, as it were, in things above them. To those it is said by holy Scripture, Be y<?Ps.32,9. not as the horse, and the mule, which have no understand- ing. The proud labour of these is blamed, when it is said, 1(j2 I* ride in hnowledfje forfeits the aid of grace.
Job 36, Seek not out the Urinfjs that are higher than thou, neither -. — j-^ — search the tldngs that are above thy strength. To those it is 3.21. said, Mart i/g your members irhich are upon the earth, forni- Co\,<2s\^(ition, tifsf, eril concupiscence. To t]jes(3 it is said, Let no man deceive you through philosophy and vain deceit. God teaches us, therefore, more than the beasts and the fowls of the air, because, while we understand what we are, neither docs the infiimity of the flesh cast us down, nor does the spirit of pride raise us u]j. We do not, by sinking down, fall beneath the lowest things, nor are we puffed up, hf pride, as to those above us. For he, who falls in the flesh, is overcome by the appetite of beasts, but he, who is exalted in mind, is raised up, like the fowls, as if with the wing of lightness.