Bin.'
320 God^s walking in the depths of the soul.
joD 30, subdued iill at once hy Mis death. After then He hud ^^' tauj^ht us that He liad penetrated the regions ])elo\v, JIc riglitly subjoined immediately the breadth of the earth to Ije considered, llast tltoa considered the breadth of the earth? As if He were saying to man when scourged, Think on what I have endured, and consider what I have purchased; and complain not thyself of the rod, when thou art ignorant what rewards await thee, in retribution. In the midst then of these words of the Creator, 1 think it worth while for us to turn away our eyes for a while from the common and public good, and to observe what He secretly does with each of ourselves. For He says; Ver. 16. Hast thou entered the depth of the sea? XV. *'^7. For the ' sea' is the mind of man, and God enters its MoR. depths, when it is roused from its inmost thoughts to lamenta- tions of penitence through its knowledge of itself, when He calls to its memory the wickednesses of its former life, and rouses the mind which is agitated by its own confusion. God penetrates the depth of the sea, when He changes hearts, which are even despaiVed of. For He goes into the sea, when He humbles a worldly heart; He enters the depth of the sea, when He disdains not to visit minds which are even overwhelmed with sins. Whence it is rightly added in a question; And hast thou walked in the lowest parts of the abyss ^ For what abyss is there, but the human mind, which while unable to comprehend itself, is like an obscure abyss, hid from itself, in every thing that it is. Whence it is well Hab. 3, said by the Prophet, The abyss uttered its voice froiu the ^^' depth of its thought. For whilst the human mind does not dive into itself, it praises more humbly, by comparison wdth itself, the power of the Divine nature, which it is unable to comprehend.
28. For God then to walk in the lowest parts of the abyss, is for Him to convert the hearts even of the wickedest men, and, by touching minds which are despaired of, with traces of His visitation, wonderfully to refashion them. For when any one feels compunction after enormous sins, what else is beheld but God walking in the lowest parts of the abyss? For God w^alks, as it were, in the abyss, when He penetrates the gloomy heart, and tramples down the invisible waves of CoiVs power over Iha ^ fjales of death,'' or evil fhoiii/hf.s'. ■i-2 1 jiiis. For wc frequently lament some sins i)iist, iuul arc iJooiv being assaulted by others present; so tliat we are harassed ' it one time by pride, at another by anger, at another by lust, and at another by avarice tempting us. But when the Lord suppresses all these in our heart by the fear of His secret visitation, what else doth He but place His steps in the abyss? Which steps we behold with the mind, when we consider how the gifts of His fear stand up to oppose these rebellious sins. For the Prophet had beheld these steps, when He was saying, 77/// goings ivere scen^ O Ps. G8, God^ the goings of my God, my King, Who is in His holy^ place. For He who beholds the inordinate motions of his mind restrained within him by the memory of the Divine judgments, beholds, as it were, the steps of God walking within him. Let it be said, therefore, to blessed Job; Hast thou entered the depth of the sea, and hast thou walked in the loicest parts of the abyss? Thou understandest, as I, Who with wondrous pity trample down in the hearts of sin- ners, at one time anger, at another lust, at another avarice, at another rising pride. As if it were plainly said to him, If thou seest that I alone suppress the lurking vices of the tieart, thou wilt cease to be puffed up with self-justification. \nd because when we are visited by God, we arc led to confession concerning even the secret and unlawful motions )f our mind, it is rightly subjoined; Ver. 17. Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?
29. For the gates of death are wicked thoughts: which xvi. ve open to God, when we confess them with weeping in )enitence. For He beholds them even when not confessed; )ut enters into them, when confessed. For He then in truth 'pens a way for Himself in the gates of death, when we have ut aside evil thoughts, and He comes to us after confession. vnd they are called the gates of death for this reason, Lcause the way to death is always opened through evil houghts. Which is again repeated, when it is subjoined; And hast thou seen the gloomy doors?
30. For the gloomy doors are the lurking evils of the und, which can both exist within, and yet not be observed V another. Which yet the liord beholds, when He destroys in by the secret look of grace. For it is written, The VOL. III. Y It 322 lireadth oj' soul in hidden Sdints needs consideration.
Job 38, King WJto sillcth in (he throne of JHd(jrnent, scatter eth away -^ -all evil with His sight. And because every vice contracts, Prov. and every virtue enlarges the mind, after the destruction of ' ' vices it is riglitly subjoined. Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? lor did not virtue enlarge the mind, ^^°/;^jPaul would not say to the Corinthians, Be ye also enlarged^ and he not yoked with unbelievers. But we must observe carefully that which is said; Ver. 18. Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? xvii. 31. For the extent of the inwardly good is not at all com- prehended, unless it is carefully considered. For poverty fre- quently humbles them outwardly, the torture of punishmenl straitens them; but yet, in the midst of these things, theii inward resolution expands itself ever to hope for heavenly rewards. The Apostles had outwardly been straitened, wiien they were enduring scourges; but they were standing at liberty in great w4dth within, who had turned, in themselves. Acts 5, these very scourges into joy. For it is written, Tlie Apostlei departed from the presence of the council; rejoicing thai they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Jesus. Paul had found this width, in his straits, whc Phil. l,said, But I wish you to know, brethren ^ that the things.
tchich happened unto me, have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel, so that my bonds in Christ were made manifest in all the palace. David was possessing this Ps. 4, i.Yvidth, in the midst of narrowness, when saying, Tliou hast enlarged me in tribulation. This earth, therefore, that is the conscience of holy men, is then enlarged when "it is pressed outwardly with the adversities of this world. Foi when it is driven away from security in this life, it is beater inwardly on itself, so as to stretch toward the hope of heavenlj things. And when it is not allowed to wander abroad, bein^ brought back, as it were, into its own bosom, it is enlarged We however behold what misfortunes good men endure, bu see not how much they rejoice within. We learn, on consi deration, the breadth of their mind, sometimes in their words sometimes in their deeds: but yet we know not how great i the range of that breadth in them. Let human wisdom hea then. Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? am let it learn its own folly. As if he said. As I, Who alon J Vayfi of li(jh t and darkness, the passing of good a n d ill. 3*23 fully consider the secret rejoicing of the holy, when sur- Book rounded with scourges, because I alone mercifully fashion ' them. Or certainly, blessed Job is asked whether he has considered the breadth of the earth, in order that he might be humbled by the example of another's enlargement. As if it were openly said to him, Consider those whom the countless evils of this world cannot conhne, and cease to boast, amid thy blows, of the state of thy own heart. It follows; Ver. 18 — 20. Tell Me. if thou knowcsl all things, in what path the light divelleth, and what is the place of darkness? that thou inayest take each of them to the hounds thereof and understand the pailis to the house thereof.
32. Blessed Job is tried with a weighty question, in that xviii. he is examined as to the way of light and the place of dark- ness, whether he should bring them each to their boundaries, and should understand the paths to the house thereof For what is understood by the word ' light' but righteousness? and what is designated by ' darkness' but iniquity? Whence it is said to some who had been converted from the wicked- ness of sins, Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ^eEph. 5, light in the Lord. And it is stated of some w^ho continue in sin, Theg that sleep, sleep in the night. It is said there- 1 Thesg. fore to blessed Job, Tell Me, if thou knowest all things, in ' what path the light dwelleth, and what is the place of dark' ness? As if it were said to him. If thou imaginest that thou hast perfect wisdom, tell Me, either into whose heart that innocency, which is now wanting, is coming, or in whose heart that wickedness, which now exists, remains. Lt what path the light dwelleth: that is, whose mind righteousness comes and fills. And ivhat is the place of darkness, that is, in whom does blind iniquity remain. That thou magest take each of them to the hounds thereof, that is, that thou mayest decide whether he who is now seen to be wicked, finishes his life in iniquity, and wli ether he who is now seen to be righteous, terminates the conclusion of his life with the perfection of righteousness. And understand the paths to the house thereof: that is, that thou mayest consider and discern, either for whom perseverance in good deeds secures an eternal mansion in the Kingdom, or whom evil habits, y2 I 3'21 ' Houfic^ I he abidinj cofiditiofi. Mau\s iyiiorance. Job 38,biii(linur to tlic end, condeinn to ( ternal i)uiuslnnent. Fur ^' house' is put for resting place, and 'path' for conduct. A patli therefore leads to a house, because our doings lead on to our resting ])lace. But what man could speak when ques- tioned on these points? who could hear them at least without fear? For we daily see many who shine forth with the light of righteousness, and who are yet at their close obscured with the darkness of wickedness. And we behold many involved in the darkness of sins, and yet at the end of their life suddenly set free and restored to the light of righ- teousness. We also know that many have preserved entire, even to the end, the path of righteousness which they have once found, and we have beheld that most men have heaped up without ceasing, even to the end, their wickedness which they have once begun.
33. But who, amid these clouds of secret judgments, can so dart forth the light of his mind, as to distinguish with any discernment, either who continues in sin, or who perseveres in righteousness, or who is converted from the highest to the lowest condition, or who relapses from the highest to the low^est? These points are hid from men's senses, nor is aught known of the end of any one, because the abyss of the divine judgments is not at all penetrated by the eye of the human mind. For we see that that Gentile world which was opposed to God Avas overspread with the light of righ- teousness, and that Judsea, long beloved, was darkened with the night of unbelief. We know also that the thief passed from the cross to the kingdom, and that Judas sank into hell from the glory of the Apostleship. And again, because destinies once commenced are sometimes not changed, we know that the other thief arrived at punishment, and that the A})ostles enjoyed the appointed kingdom, which they had longed for. Who then can examine in what jDath light dwells, and what is the place of darkness, to bring each of them to its own bounds, and to understand the paths to the house thereof? I see Paul called from that cruelty of per-j secution to the grace of Apostleship; and yet he is so alarmed in the midst of secret judgments, as to fear that he be cast avay, even after he had been called. For he says, lCor.9, / chasten ivy body, and bring it into subjection, lest, per- Not hnoicing the end calls to JiioniUttj and care. 32o chance^ having preached to others^ I mijself should become Hook a cast-away. And again, I count not myself to have appre- ^-^' hended; hut one tiling I do, forgetting those things which 13, ii.' are behind, and stretching forth vigself unto those things tvJiich are before, I folio iv the destined mark, to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I follow o/'/c^r, ibid. 12. if that I mag apprehend that, for which also I am appre- hended. And it certainly had been already said of him by the voice of the Lord, He is a chosen vessel to Me; and yet Acts 9, he still chastens his body, and is fearful of being rejected.
34. Alas for our wretched selves, who have known as yet no voice of God concerning our election, and are still slum- bering in ease, as if from security. But there ought, there ought doubtless to be not only security in our hope, but also fear in our conversation, that the one may encourage us in the contest, the other sting us when listless. Whence it is rightly said by the Prophet, Let them that fear the Lord, Pa. lis, trust in the Lord. As if he were openly saying; He pre- * sumes in vain on his hope, who refuses to fear God in his doings. But why is blessed Job questioned on so mighty an enquiry, which is utterly unknown by men, how he understands the end of the just and of the unjust, except that he should turn to his own end, from being unable to understand that of others; and that from being ignorant of his own end, as well as others', he might be afraid at his ignorance, be humbled through his fear; from being humbled might not be elated at his own doings; and from not being elated, might remain stedfast in the citadel of grace? Let it hd said then to him. Tell 3Te, if thou hast underslanding, in what path the light dwelleth, and what is the place of darkness, that thou mayest take each of them to the bounds thereof. As if it were said; As thou knowest not who are converted from sin to good- ness, nor who turn back from goodness to sin; so also thou dost not understand what is doing towards thyself, as thy merits deserve. And as thou dost not at all comprehend another's end, so art thou also unable to foresee thine own. For thou knowest now what progress thou hast made tliyself, but what I still think of thoe in secret, thou knowest not. Thou now thinkest on thy deeds of righteousness; but thou knowest not how strictly they are weighed by Me. Woe 326 Man comjirchcuds not his h(ujinnin(j or end.
Job 38, even to the praiseworthy life of incn, if it be jiicl<^ed without ^ mercy, because when strictly exauiined, it is overwhelmed in the presence of the Judge, by the very conduct with which it imagines that it pleases llim. Whence it is rightly said Ps. 143,to God by the Prophet, Enter not into jiiihjment wltJi Thy servant, f 07' in Thy sight shall no man liciny he juslijied.
Eccles. Whence it is well said by Solomon, There are righteous ' ' and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet no man knoweth uhether he is deseriiny of love, or of hatred; hut all tilings are hcpt uncertain for the time to Prov. come. Hence acrain it is said by the same Solomon, What ' ' man will he ahle to imderstand his own way^ And any one doing good or evil is doubtless known by the testimony of his conscience. But it is said that their own way is not know^n to men, for this reason, because even if a man under- stands that he is acting rightly, yet he knows not, under the strict enquiry, whither he is going. After He has alarmed him then with this consideration of his end. He goes back to examine his beginning: and, that he may not complain wherefore knows he not his end. He mentions also that he does not even understand with what beginning he came hither. For it follows; Ver. 21. Didst thou know then that thou wast ahout to be horn, and didst thou know the number of thy days? xix. ^^' As if He were openly saying, What wonder if thou understandest not thine end, since thou dost not comprehend thy beginning? And since thou knowest not with what beginning thou camest hither, what wonder, if thou canst not tell with what end thou art taken away } If therefore it was My work to bring thee forward from secresy to sight at thy beginning, it will be Mine also to bring thee back from sight to secresy. Why complainest thou aught of the dis- pensation of thy life, who, ignorant of thyself, art supported by the hand of thy Creator? Thou oughtest therefore to boast thyself the less in what thou dost, the more thou art confined within the bosom of eternity, and knowest not either in what order thou camest hither, nor when, or how thou art taken hence.
36. But these words can yet be understood in another sense also; Didst thou know then that thou wast about to he Our Lord foreknew Hia Own Coneeption. 3*27 horn, and didst thou know the number of thy days? Thou Book understandest, As I, Who knew that I was about to bo born, ^ because, even before the birtli of My Manliood, 1 always existed substantially in the Godhead. For men begin then to exist, when they are born in the womb of their mothers. For even the very conception is called nativity, according to that which is written, That which is born in her is of the Mditt.i, 20 Holy Ghost. And they therefore know not that they are about to be born, because they do not exist, before they are created. But God, Who ever existed without beginning, foresaw this of Himself, that He assumed a beginning in the womb of the V^irgin; and because He foreknew, He ordained it; and because He ordained, He doubtless endured nothing in .human form, except of His own free will. Let man then, who could not foresee his own birth, be reproved for com- plaining of his scourges, if even He, Who foresaw and ordained His own birth, prepared Himself for scourges amongst men. It follows, Yer. 2*2, 23. Hast thou entered into the treasures of snow, cr hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have prepared against the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?
37. What else must be understood by the ' snow' or ' hail,' xx. but the cold and hard hearts of the wicked? For as charity is designated by warmth, so also in Holy Scripture wicked- ness is wont to be designated by cold. For it is written, As a cistern maketh its water cold, so doth its own wicked- jer. q, ness make cold the soul. And again, Iniquity shall abound, ^ and the lore of many shall wax cold. What then can 12. be more fitly understood by the cold of snow, or the hardness of hail, than the life of the wicked, which both waxes cold by torpor, and strikes with the malice of hardness.'' Whose life the Lord yet tolerates, because He keeps them for the probation of His just ones. Whence also He rightly sub- joined. Which I have j^^'^paf^d, against the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war. In order that, when our adversary the devil endeavours to tempt us, he may make use of their habits as his weapons against us. For by them he tortures us in his rage, but unwittingly purges us. For they become scourges to our sins, and when we are 3*i8 H((il and li<jlilnin,j inslt uineitts oj (Jod.
Joii:i8, smitten by llioir liio, wljicli is sucli, we are freed from — '~~ eternal doatli. Whence it is so ordered, that even the abandoned life of the reprobate benefits the life of the I'dect, and that whilst their ruin furthers our interest, it is thus marvellously ordained, in order that even every thing which is lost, may not be lost to the Elect of God.
38. This also can be understood in another way, so as not to differ from the exposition of the former verse, since it seems connected with the words that precede it. For because He had pointed out that either the good can be changed to sin, or the wicked to goodness, He immediately jnoceeded to add, Hast thou entered itito the treasures of snow, or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have prepared against the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war? By either cold, or hard, snow, or hail, we understand, as has been said, the hearts of the wicked. But because Almighty God has chosen His Saints from such, and knows liow many of the Elect He has still stored up amongst the life of the wicked, He fitly says, that He has His treasures in snow or hail. For ' thesaurus' (treasure) is so called from ^so-i?, that is, from its being placed away. And He beholds many long concealed in a life of coldness, whom He brings out, when He orders it, and exhibits glittering with the brightness of righteousness, through grace from on high. rs.51,7. For it is written, Thou shall wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. And He hides them for a long while beneath th€ seal of His foreknowledge, prepared against the day of war and of battle, but the moment He brings them out. He strikes the opposing breast of the adversaries, with their words and refutations, as if with hailstones. Whence it is Ps. 18, written elsewhere. Through the brigJitness in His presence 12 the clouds passed away, hailstones and coals of fire. For Aug, ad coals pass away through brightness, because holy preachers °^' traverse the whole compass of the world with the brightness of their miracles. And they are called, moreover, hailstones, | and coals of fire; because they both strike with their reproof, and kindle with the flame of charity. The bold reproof of the Saints is also fitly represented by the nature of hail. For hail strikes as it falls, and waters when it melts. But holy men both strike the hearts of their hearers with dread, 3Iany chosen ones yet sloicd in the cold of sin. 3*29 and bedew them with coniCoit. For the Prophet bears wit- I<ook iiess how they strike, saying, I'licy sJudl speak of the niiyhl ~ — — ' of 77iy terrible (ids, and (hey shall tell of Tliy great nc-ss. o*. ' ' ' And he has proceeded to subjoin, how they bedew with gentle- ness; They shall utter the memory of the abundance of Thy ih. 7. sweetness, and slndl exult in Thy riyhteousness. Treasures, therefore, are kept in the snow or hail, because many who were frozen in the torpor of iniquity, when taken \\\) unto heavenly grace, shine forth in Holy Church with the light of righte- ousness, and smite with the blows of their doctrine the evil wisdom of their adversaries. Whence also it is fitly sub- joined, JVhich I have prepared against the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war. For Said in Irulh had been snow or hail through cold insensibility j but he became snow and hail against the breasts of his adver- saries, either by the brightness of righteousness, or by the reproof of his keen eloquence. O what a treasure did the Lord keep him, stored up in snow or hail, when He already secretly beheld him as His own Elect, though placed among the life of the wicked. And to smite how many breasts of His adversaries did He grasp in His hand this hailstone, by which He laid prostrate so many hearts which resisted Plim. 39. Let no one then boast himself of his own deeds; let no one despair of those, whom he sees still cold. For he sees not the treasures of God in snow and hail. For who could believe that that very person, who at his death kept Acts 7, the raiment of all those who stoned, could go before the^^* martyred Stephen through the grace of apostleship? If therefore we refer to these secret gifts, or judgments, while not despaiing utterly of any, we do not prefer ourselves in our hearts to those, to whom for a time we have been pre- ferred. For though we now observe how much we have outstripped them, yet we know not how much we may be surpassed ourselves, when they begin the race. It is well, therefore, said to blessed Job, Hast thou entered the treasures of snow, or hast thou beheld the treasures cf the hail, which I have prepared against the time of the enemy, against the day if battle and war? As if it were oi)enly said. Prefer not thyself to any one, by reason of thy doings; for of these, whom thou beholdcst still frozen in sin, thou knowest not 330 Christ the fVot/ hy Which Liyht came, Jun38, what iiiiglity workers of riglitcousness, and defenders of — ^1: sound fiiitli 1 intend to create. But because this is eflected by the coniin*^ of tlie Mediator, it is rightly subjoined; Ver. 24. By what ivay is the i'ujht scattered'^ xxi. 40. For lie in truth is the way, Who says, I am the Way, John 14, ^/^Q Truth, and the Life. The liglit is, therefore, scattered by this way, because all the Gentile world is enlightened by His presence. But He rightly said. Is scattered, because the light of preaching was not contracted or confined, but shone forth with its brightness far and wide by the voices of the Apostles. But because the power of love glows within, when the light of conversion has been received, in order that either our past sins may be anxiously lamented, or future blessings be most ardently sought for, it is suitably added, The heat is divided over the earth.