heart is prone to evil from its youth. Vox the evil of cor- ruption wliich each one of us lias acquired fronri tlie spring- ing up of his carnal desires, bo exercises as he advances in years; and unless the hand of Divine fear speedily repress it, sin quickly swallows up all the goodness of created nature. Let no one then attribute the victory over his thou^^ht to himself, since the Truth says. Who shut up the sea with doors, when it was breaking forth, as if it was proceeding from the womb? For did not Divine grace restrain the waves of our heart, from the very first beginning of our thoughts, the sea, raging with the storais of temptations, would doubtless have overwhelmed the land of the human heart, so that, washed by the briny waves, it would have become barren; that is, it would have been charmed by the fatal pleasures of the flesh, and have perished. The Lord then alone shuts up the sea with doors, Who opposes to the evil motions of our hearts the barriers of inspired fear. But because we are prohibited following those things which we behold, because we are debarred from the enjoyment of bodily pursuits, we delight to raise the eyes of our mind even to things invisible, and to behold those very things we are ordered to follow. But what do we? These things are not yet open to our feeble sight. Behold we are invited to their love, and yet are restrained from their sight, because even if we ever see them by stealth and partially, we are in darkness from our still too imperfect sight. Whence it is fitly sub- joined; Ver. 9. When I ivas laying the cloud as the garment thereof, and was coveri?ig it with darkness as with swaddling clothes, XX. 44. This tumultuous sea, (our heart, namely, agitated by thoughts,) is covered with a cloud; because it is so obscured by the confusion of its own restlessness, as not clearly to behold inward peace. This sea is covered with darkness as with swaddling clothes, because it is still kept from the con- templation of sublime truths, by its weak and tender senses. Let us behold Paul covered as it were with a kind of dark- 1 Cor. ness, as with swaddling clothes, when he says. We now see Man^s strengtii limited. Sin restrained by inspii'ed Virtues. 299 ihrouqh a glass darkly: but ihe/i face to face* Now I knoiv Book in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. For did he not perceive that he was a child in the under- standing of heavenly things, he would not have first men- tioned, on this point, a comparison of his age, saying. When \ Cor. / was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child,^^' ^^' I thought as a child. We therefore then attain to the strength of youth, when we behold with strong sight that life to which we are tending. But now, since the keenness of our sight is dazzled, through its infirmity, by the light within, our mind is, as it were, held bound by swaddling clothes. Where it is fitly subjoined; Ver. 10. I surrounded it with my boundaries.
45. For the Lord surrounds this sea with His boundaries, xxi. because He keeps low within the limits of contemplation our heart which is still agitated by the plague and trouble of its corruption; that (though it desires more) it may not ascend higher than the limit assigned to it. Or certainly the Lord surrounds this sea with His boundaries; because He calms by the secret distributions of His gifts our heart swelling with temptations: at one time keeping a wicked suggestion from arriving at pleasure, and at another a wicked pleasure from breaking out into consent. He then, Who watches the unlawful motions of the heart, and in some cases keeps them from coming as far as to consent, but in others restrains them even from delight, doubtless imposes boundaries on the raging sea, that it burst not forth in act, but that the gently murmuring wave of temptation may dash itself within the secret recesses of the mind. But because it is then mightily restrained, when it is opposed by delight in God and by inspired virtues, it is rightly subjoined; Ver. 10, 11. And I set a bar and doo7's, and said, Hi- therto shall thou come, and thou shall not proceed further, and here shall thou break thy swelling waves.
46. For what do we understand by * doors,' in a moral xxii. sense, but virtues, and what by a ^ bar,' but the strength of charity } These doors, therefore, that is, these virtuous deeds, the raging sea rends af^under, unless charity of mind, secretly placed against them, holds them together. But all Oie goodness of virtues is easily destroyed by a temptation I 800 Sin restrained in the Elect by the Power of God.
Job 38, of the lieart rushing upon them, unless it be kept finn hy -^ — ^charity rooted witliin. Whence also when Paul was, in his preaching, opposing certain doors of virtues to the sea of temptation, he immediately added to them, as it were, Col. 3, the strength of a bar, saying, But above all these things having cJiarity, which is the bond of perfectness. For cha- rity is called the bond of perfectness, because every good deed which is done, is doubtless fastened thereby, so as not to perish. For any work is speedily plucked up by the tempter, if it is found free from the bond of charity. But if a mind is constrained by the love of God and of its neigh- bour, when the motions of temptations have suggested to it any wicked thoughts, this very love opposes itself to their progress, and breaks the waves of sinful persuasion by the gates of virtues, and the bar of inmost love. Because there- fore the Lord restrains the sins which spring up in the heart, by the strength of inspired charity. He checks the onset of the rising sea, by barriers barred against it. Anger, it may be, exasperates within, but, that heavenly peace may not be lost, the aid of the tongue is not lent to the agitation of the mind, so that that which sounds tumultuously in the recesses of the heart does not vent itself in words. Lust is kindled in the secret thoughts, but, that it lose not its heavenly purity, thy mind chastens those limbs, which could help to further the uncleanness conceived within; lest the filthiness of the heart should exhale to the corruption of the body. Avarice excites; but, that it lose not the kingdom of heaven, the mind, contented with its own lot, confines itself within the bounds of parsimony, lest it should break out in wicked deeds, and lest the heat of inward desire should ooze forth into outward acts. Pride puffs up a man; but, that he lose not his true dignity, by considering that he is dust, he brings him- self down from the loftiness of his conceived pride; striving, doubtless, that that which he endures in the suggestion of thought, may not burst forth into outward exercise. It is well said, therefore, I set a bar and doors, and said, Hitherto shall thou come, and thou shall not proceed further, and here shalt thou break thy swelling waves, because while each of the Elect is both assaulted by sin, and yet refuses to act upon evil suggestions, the sea is kept, as it were, within Job warned not to attribute this to himself. SOI bounds. And thoimh it lashes the mind ^vithin, with the Book tumultuous waves of thoughts, yet it passes not over the appointed bounds of holy living. This sea indeed swells itself up, but when it is dashed against the firm deliberation of the heart, it is broken and retires. That blessed Job, then, may not ascribe it to himself that he stands firmly against the storms of his heart, let him hear by the voice of God; Who shut up the sea with doors, when it was breaking forth as if proceeding from the womb? and the rest: as if it were plainly said to him; In vain thou regardest thyself in thy good deeds without, if thou dost not consider Me within. Who calm in thee the waves of temptation. For that thou art able to withstand the waves in act, is of My might, Who break the waves of temptation in the heart.
BOOK XXIX.
Twenty-two verses of the thirty- eighth chapter, from the twelfth to the thirty-third inclusive, are explained; and many truths are taught, especially concerning the arts and snares of Satan, grace, predestination, reprobation, and the secret judgments of God.
i. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in that He is the Power and Wisdom of God, is born of the Father before all times, or rather, because He neither began, nor ceased to be born, let 1 natus. us say more truly that He was ever born ^ Yet we cannot 2nasci- say, He is ever being born ^, lest He should seem imperfect.
But in order that He may be designated both eternal and perfect, let us say that He was even ever born, so that ' bom' may relate to His perfection, and ' ever' to His eternity. In order that, in some way or another, that Essence which is without time may be able to be described in words of time.
Although in calling Him perfect, we deviate much from the 3 factum expression of His truth, since that which has not been made^, 4perfec- cannot be called perfect*. And yet the Lord says, con- *Jl™*, descending to our words of infirmity. Be ye perfect, even as 48. your heavenly Father is perfect. In that Divine Sonship therefore He could not be discerned by the human race, wherefore He came in human nature, to be seen; He wished to be seen, in order to be imitated. Which birth of the flesh appeared contemptible to the wise ones of the world; for they despised the weaknesses of His humanity, judging them unworthy of God. And man was the more His debtor, iCor.i, the more God took on Himself indignities for his sake. For ^^* since the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. As if He were saying. When the world by its wisdom found not God, Who is Wisdom itself, it seemed good that it should Eternal Nativity of the Son. The Churchy the dawn. 303 behold God made Man throuorh the foolishness of humanity, Book XXIX in order that His Wisdom might come down to our folly, - and tliat our darkness, \vhen enlightened by means of the clay Jol^" 9, of its own flesh, miglit behold tlie light of heavenly Wisdom.
Born therefore of the Father, before all time, He deigned to be born of His Mother in time, in order that by confining His birth between a beginning and an end, He might disclose to eyes of the human mind that birth, which neither rises from a beginning, nor is bounded by an end. Whence it is now well said to blessed Job, Ver. 1*2. Hast thou cotnmanded the moriiitig since thy birth, and hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place?
2. Thou understandest, as I. For the origin of His ii. Divinity has no before and after. And while Its ever being is through all eternity, while It circumscribes every thing which passes away. It bounds within Itself the ebbings and flowings of times. But because the origin of His Humanity began and ended. It received from time a before and after. But because, when He took on Himself the shadows of our temporal being. He shed on us the light of His eternity, after this beginning w^hich the Creator made for Himself in time, the day-spring rightly learned its own place without time. For because the dawn, or day-spring, is turned from darkness into light, the whole Church of the Elect is, not improperly, designated by the name of dawn, or day-spring. For whilst it is brought from the night of unbelief to the light of faith, it is laid open to the splendour of heavenly brightness, as the dawn bursts into day after the darkness. Whence it is also well said in the Song of Songs, Who is she ^o\. that Cometh forth as the rising daivn? For Holy Church, iJ°^ ' seeking for the rewards of the heavenly life, is called the dawn, because, while it leaves the darkness of sin, it shines with the light of righteousness.
3. But we have a deeper point to examine, on considering the nature of the dawn, or day-spring. For the day-spring, or dawn, announces that night has already passed, but yet does not present to us the full brightness of day: but whilst they dispel the one, and take up the other, they keep the light intermingled with darkness. What then are all we who follow the truth in this life, but day-spring, or dawn.?
I 804 The nif/lit (hpartiruj^fnll daylujht not yet come.
Job 38, B(3cau.se we now both do some tliincs which are of the light, -*— and yet arc hitlicrto not froc from somcj remains of tlic dark- Ps. 143, jjgj.j. For it is said to God by the Prophet, /;^ Thy sujht James shall no man living he justified. And it is written again, Rom 7 ^'* many things we offend all. Paul also says, / see another 23. law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members. Where then the law of sin is contending with the law of the mind, there is surely still day-break; because the light, which has already shone forth, has not yet entirely overpowered the passing darkness. It is yet day-break; because while the law of the flesh assails the law of the mind, and the law of the mind that of the flesh, light and darkness are contending one against the other. Whence, when Paul Bom. was saying again. The night is far spent; he did not ' * subjoin, ' The day has come,' but, The day is at hand. For he who says, after the departure of night, not that the day ' has arrived,' but that it is ' at hand,' doubtless proves that he is still in twilight before the sun, and after the darkness.
4. But the Church of the Elect will then be fully day, when the shade of sin will be no longer blended with it. It will then be fully day, when it has been brightened with the perfect warmth of the inward light. It will be then fully day, when tolerating no longer the seducing remembrance of its sins, it will conceal from itself even all the remains of darkness. Whence also this dawn is well pointed out as still only in progress, when it is said, And hast thou shewn to the day-spring its place? For that, whose place is pointed out, is certainly being called from one condition to another. For what is the place of dawn but the perfect brightness of the eternal vision? And when it has been conducted and has arrived thither, it has no longer any of the darkness of the past night. But now, when it is still enduring the annoy- ances of temptations, because the Church is in intention of heart hastening to another condition, the dawn is proceeding to its place. But if it did not behold this spot with its mind, it would still remain in the night of this life. But when it is daily striving to be perfected, and daily to be increased in light, it already beholds its place, and seeks for the sun to shine fully upon it. The dawn considers its How our Lord taught the Church her true Phice, 305 place, when a holy soul is burning to contemplate the sight Book of its Creator. The dawn was busily engaged in reaching il its place, when David was saying, My soul thirsfeth for the Ps.42,2. litiiKj God; when shall I come and appear he/ore the face of God? The Truth was pointing out its place to the dawn, when It was saying by Solomon, For trJtat hath the wise^ccXes, more than the fool? and uhat the poor, except to go thither ' ' where there is life? And this place our Lord after His birth doubtless manifested even to the Patriarchs who preceded His Incarnation; because unless they knew, by the spirit of Prophecy, that the King of their heavenly country was to become Incarnate, they would not see how desirable are the a^oods of this same country. The Truth made known its place to the dawn, when in the presence of His disciples He isked His Father, saying, Father, I ivill that they also Johni7, whom Thou hast giveii Me, he with Me where I am. He * pointed out its place to the dawn, when saving, JJ'heresoeverMait.2^, fJie carcase is, (here icill also the eagles he gathered together. ' rhe dawn was hastening to arrive at this place, which it had inown, when Paul was saying that he had a. desire to JePhii. 1, iissohed, and to be with Christ. And again, To me to live.^^\, 's CJirist, and to die is gain. And again, We know that if 2 Cor.
mr earthly house of this hahitaiion were dissolved, we^^^' 'lave a building of God, an house not made icith hands, Hernal in tlie heavens. But He well says that He shewed ts place to the dawn after His birth, because before He Him- ;elf made known the blessedness of future retribution by His )wn Body, He confined it in the knowledge of a few. But vhen He took the infirmities of a human birth, He extended he knowledge of coming glory in the love of a countless aultitude. But because compassion so carries on the nystery of the Divine work, that anger still attends it, in irder that the secret Judge may look favourably on and ansom some, and pass over and ruin others, since we have earnt how He enlightens the Elect by His Incarnation, let IS now hear how He condemns the reprobate. It follows; Ver. 13. Hast Thou held and shaken the ends of the earth, •nd hast Thou shaken the wicked oiit of it?
5. The Lord * held the ends of the earth,' because He iii- :ame in the end of the world to the synagogue which was VOL. III. X fiiHi God took the last of Israel, and shook out the Wicked.
Job 38, now forsaken and snbjcct to foreign kings: and He shook -i~^ — ^tlie wicked out of it, because He cast out even from the ALLliG. ' glory of the carnal sacrifice, those who denied the spiritual preaching of the faith. Or lie certainly held the ends of tlic earth, because He chose out of Juduea a few abject and humble men. He held the ends of the earth, because He forsook the doctors of the law, and chose fishermen. And while He holds the ends of the earth, He shakes the wicked out of it, because while He strengthens weak believers, He con- demns the sturdy unbelievers therein. But the word ' shaking,' He also rightly added: because by His coming He stirred up even the hearts of the reprobates with immeasurable fear.
Johni2, For they in truth were shaken who were saying, We prevail nothing, behold, the whole world is gone after Him. But a thing which is shaken is wearied out by being drawn hither and thither. Judaea therefore had been shaken, which was John 7, saying of Christ by some, That He is a good Man, and was resisting Him by others, saying. Nay; hut He deceiveth the John 9, people. It was saying by some. If this Man were not oj God, He could do nothing. And at last it exclaims by Johni 8, others, //' this Man were not a malefactor, ice icould not have d.elivered Him up nnto thee. The reprobate were shaken indeed but not prostrated, when at one time they beheld the miracles with wonder, and at another despised and derided the disgraces of His weakness. Had not they been Johnio, shaken, who were saying, How long dost Thou hold our sou i ill suspense? If Thou he the Christ, tell us\plai7ily. Or He certainly shook and held the ends of the earth, because wher He terrified the feeble hearts of the humble w ith pious fear He did not abandon them to strict judgment. For th(| multitude of the believers in God stood more firmly, fron: the same reason that it was alarmed when humbled u itself. For that God holds firm the person whom He shake.^ 18.66, He teaches by the Prophet, saying, On whom shall M LXX. ^pii'^t rest, but 07i the humble and quiet, and Him ivh trembleth. at My word^? That He holds the person whor He shakes, is intimated by the testimony of Solomon, wh Prov. says, Happy is the man who feareth alway, but he that t ■ * of a hard heart shall fall i?ito mischief. Because therefor the Lord held the ends of Judaea in the Apostles, an- The Jews turned back to earthy and clave not to God's icilL 307 rejected therefrom the Scribes, and Pharisees, and Hii^h Book XXIX Priests, as the merit of their iniquity demanded, let us hear - what is still added respecting their condemnation. It follows; Ver. 14. The sedl shall be restored as clay^and shall slaitd as a garment.
6. What else but ' clay' did the Lord find the people of iv. Israel, whom He came unto when given up to the practices of the Gentiles, and toiling at bricks in Egypt? And whilst He led it forth by so many miracles to the land of promise, and filled it, when brought thither, with the knowledge of His wisdom, whilst He conferred on it so many secret mysteries by means of Prophecy, what else did He make it but a * seal' for preserving His mystery.? For Divine Pro- phecy itself kept secret, whatever the Truth revealed of Itself at the end. But when, after so many Divine secrets, after the many miracles which it witnessed at the coming of our Redeemer, it loved its land, in preference to the trutli, (saying by the Priests, 1/ we let Him thus alone^ all mcnJohnU, 48 will believe on Him^ and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation;) it returned, as it were, to those bricks, which it had left in Egypt: and that which had been made the seal of God, turned back again to that which it had abandoned. And, having been a ' seal,' it appeared as ' clay' in the eyes of the Truth, when it lost, through the wicked- ness of impiety, the mysteries of the word, which it had received, and chose to savour only of the things of earth, which pollute.
7. Where it is fitly subjoined. And shall stand as a garment. For because garments which are unfinished and of thicker texture, even when put on, do not adhere, nor are well fitted to the limbs of the wearer, they are said to stand. Judaea therefore, even when it seemed to be labouring in the know- ledge of the truth, stood as a garment; because it professed to serve God in external commands, but refused to cling to Him by the understanding of love. While it observed the letter only, in the precepts of God, and did not through the Spirit unite itself to their inmost meanings, it did not cling, so to speak, to Him Who had put it on. Where it is also fitly subjoined, Ver. 15. From the wicked their light shall be taken away.
308 Wicked sfiahcn out of tJie Cliurch by the last trial.
Job 38, 8. Because, wliile they refuse to believe the truth, they lose for ever the knowledge of the Law, and while they boast Alleo. o^ having received tlie Law, they are, doubtless, blinded Pa. 69, ]yy boasting of tlieir knowledge. For it is written, Let their eyes he darkened that then see not. And again it is written, Is. 6, 10. Blind the hearts of this people, and make their ears heart/.
John 9, And again it is written, For judgment I have come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might he made hlind. And because they Vjoasted themselves in the works of the Law against the Giver of the Law, it is fitly subjoined; And the high arm shall he broken. vi. 9. For the high arm is broken, when the proud works of the Law are reproved, by preaching the grace of faith, when Rom. 3, it is said. By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh he justified.
10. But all these words can be understood in another sense also. For Holy Scripture is wont to call the Church ' earth.' The Lord therefore holds and shakes the ends of the earth, because He allows the ends of His Church to be agitated by most cruel persecution through the coming of Antichrist, and yet forsakes her not, by permitting it. Some- times the Lord holds this earth, and shakes it not; sometimes He holds and shakes it; because He possesses it at one time with the tranquil peace of faith, at another orders it to be disturbed with the assault of persecution.
H. But when saying. Hast thou held and shaken the ends of the earth, He rightly added immediately, And hast thou shaken the wicked out of it? For as Paul bears Tit. 1, witness, there are many therein, wJio profess that they know God, but in tvorks deny Him. The Lord therefore shakes the wicked out of it, because those, whom deep-seated sins possess, will then fall into the gulph of open unbelief, and pass over to the heap of chaff, when moved by the breath of that temptation. And though they now conceal themselves with- in the bosom of the threshing floor, under the semblance of faith, they will then, doubtless, bound forth from the heap of grain, by the fan of strict judgment.
12. Whence it is also fitly subjoined, Tlie seal shall he restored, as clay. As if he were openly saying; They who Some sealed in the Church shall yet prove clay. 309 now appear in the bosom of the Church as a * seal,' will then Book in the sight of all men be restored as * clay:' that is, they deceive not the judgments of men concerning their profession of religion, but it is proved that they savour of earthly things. For Holy Scripture is wont to use the word ^ seal' for faith, and * clay' for iniquity. For the younger son, who returned to his father, having consumed his substance, received aLukei5, ring as a present. For the Gentile people, which returns to ' God, by penitence, having lost its immortality, is defended by the seal of faith. Whence also it is said to the Church by its Bridegroom, Set Me as a seal upon thine heart. For Sol. a seal is placed on things for the very purpose that they may g°"^ ' not be violated by any boldness of plunderers. The Bride- groom therefore is placed as a seal on the heart, when the mystery of His faith is imprinted for the safe keeping of our thought; in order that that unfaithful servant, namely our adversary, observing our hearts sealed by faith, may not presume to break in upon them with temptation. But by ' clay' worldly infection is set forth, as the Psalmist bears ivitness, who says. He brought me up out of the pit of misery, Ps.40,2.
2nd the deepest clay. Because many then who are found in worldly infection, are sealed, when brought to the Church, .yith the sacrament of heavenly faith, and yet depart not rom their wicked deeds, and conceal themselves now under he cloke of faith, and yet shew what they really are, when hey have found an opportunity, it is rightly said, The seal 'hall be restored as clay. For those whom we now believe .0 be faithful, we shall then find to be the very enemies of he faith; and though, when not tempted, they appear to be a seal,' they will doubtless, when tempted, be ' clay.' Whence dso it is rightly said. Shall be restored: for their reprobate ife proves them afterwards to be such, as their conscience •Quid have done before their faith. Of whom it is fitly sub- oined, A?id shall stand as a garment.