Ver. 13. Whom else hath He appointed over the earth, or whom hath He placed over the world which He hath made'^ XX. 46. In order, namely, that thou mayest understand, No one. For He governs indeed by Himself the world which He created by Himself: nor does He need the aid of others in governing, Who needed it not for creating. But these points are brought together, in order that he might plainly point out, that if Almighty God does not neglect to govern by Himself the world which He created. He most certainly governs aright that which He created aright; that He does not order in unmercifulness that which He fashioned in mercy; and that He Who provided for their being before they were made, does not forsake them after their creation. Because then He is present to rule, Who was the First Cause at their creation. He therefore does not omit to take care of us. Whence also he fitly subjoins, Ver. 14. If he hath directed his heart towards Him, He will gather to Himself his spirit, and his breath. xxi. 47. The heart is crooked, when it seeks for things below. It is made straight when it is raised to things above. If a man therefore direct his heart to the Lord, the Lord draws to I Himself his spirit and his breath. He uses, namely, spirit i for inward thoughts, but breath, which is drawn through the body, for outward actions. For God, then, to draw the spirit and breath of man to Himself, is for Him so to change us both within and without, to turn towards Him in our desires, that nothing outward may any longer please the mind, and that the flesh (even if it wishes it) may not endeavour to attain! any inferior object; but that the whole man may have its inward desires kindled towards Him from Whom it springs, i and may bind itself closer to Him without, by self-controlJ Whence also he fitly subjoins.
Carnal life dies in those who turn ^c holly to God. 87 Ver. 15. All flesh shall fail together, and man shall return Book to ashes. ^lihiL: 48. For all flesh fails together, when it is no longer a slave xxiii. to its own emotions; because the spirit presiding therein restrains all its vvaveriugs, and destroys as it were with the sword of Its severity all evil which lived therein. Jeremiah had, in truth, slain himself with this sword of discipline, when he said, After Thou hadst converted vie. I did^^^-^^^ penance, and after Thou hadst shewed to me, I smote mij thigh. For what is understood by the thigh, but carnal pleasure? And what his saying, After Tliou hadst shewed unto me, I smote my thigh, except that after he spiritually beheld heavenly things, he extinguished every infirm carnal desire which used to live in him: that as heavenly objects opened upon him, he might feel less pleasure in those inferior things which he had possessed? For the more a man begins to live to things above, does he begin to die to things below.
For as far as concerns the love of carnal doings, the whole flesh of Paul had perished together, when he said, / no longer live, hut Christ liveth in me. Gal. 2, 49. Eliu also properly subjoined in this place. And man shall return to ashes. For every one who is involved in sin, forgets his mortal condition, and while he is still puffed up with pride, remembers not that he is earth. But when, after the grace of his conversion, he is touched with the spirit of humility, what does he call to mind that he is, but ashes? David had already returned to ashes, when he said, Re- Ps. 103, member. Lord, that ue are dust. And Abraham had returned to ashes,.paying, / will speak to my Lord, though L am dust Gen. 18, and ashes. And though death had not yet dissolved their living flesh unto earth, yet in their own opinion they were that, which they foresaw^ without doubt they were about to be. Hence it is said in another place, 77iou will take away Ps.i04, their breath, and they will fail, and will return to their dust. But what is meant by their breath, but the breath of pride? Let their breath then be taken away, that they may fail; that is, feel themselves to be nothing in themselves, wlien the breath of pride is withdrawn. And let them return to dust, that is, let them be humblect by their infirm con- dition. It is on account of ihis very dust, to the recollection 88 Man * hrouffht to diist'J'or (jtiod. iUiu's pror/ress in pride.
Job:i4, of which those arc recalled who consider themselves, that it — '— is said by Wisdom, The riahfeoiis shall shine, and shall run 7. ' fo and fro like sparks amnntj the reeds. For holy men while they mix with sinners, kindle them by the fire of their example, and reduce to ashes all their brilliancy. I'or consumed by the flame of lioliness, they discern themselves, on looking at the infirmity of their condition, to be nought but ashes. So that when loosened from the hardness of their pride they may use the words before quoted, Re- wemlier, O L')rd^ that ive are dust. It is well said then that when God draws the breath of a man to Himself, all flesh will fail together, and man will return to ashes These words of Eliu are true and important. But he betrays In the words which follow that he was soon wickedly puffed up by that which he thought rightly, saying, Ver. 16. Jf Ihen thou hast understanding^ hear what is said, and lis! en to the voice of my ivords, xxiii. 50. All haughty men have this peculiarity, that when they perchance entertain any acule sentiment, they soon launch out in consequence into the sin of pride, that they despise the opinion of every one else in comparison with their own, and prefer themselves in their own judgment to the merits of others. It is the fate of these wretched men, to be more in the dark the more they see; for while they look at subtleties, they overlook themselves; and the more acutely they perceive their wisdom, the more fatally do they fall through pride. But they would look into subtleties to some use, if in w^hat they bring forward they were to see Job 33, themselves. For Eliu said above, // thou hast any thing to say, answer me; speak, for I wish thee to appear just. But now he says. If thou hast understanding, hear what is said. See how his pride gradually advances in increase of expres- sion. He doubted above whether blessed Job could bring forward what was just. He now makes it a question if he can even hear what is said. He said there. If thou hast any thing to say, ans?rer me. As though he were to say. Say something, if at least thou wilt be able to speak worthily. But here he says, Tf thou hast understanding, hear what is said. As though he said plainly, Hear me, if thou wilt be able to hear worthily. These are the daily declensions which take He now qaeslioin: if Job can ctc/i (inJcJSiand him. 89 place in the heart oltlie wicked, by which the\' are unceasingly Book XXI v siiikini^ to worse; because wliile ihey carelessly neglect smaller ^-^ '- faults, they break out wickedl}' into greater. It had already resulted from his pride that ho doubted whether blessed Job could say what was just. But through neglecting to watch this fault in himself, he arrived at greater wickedness: so as not onl\- to doubt that he could possibly say what was just, but even to despair of his understanding himself when speaking what was just. Wherefore the sin of pride nnist be cut up at once by the very roots, that when it springs up secretly it may be cut off vigilantly, so that it may not gain vigour bj' growth, or strength by habit. For it is a hard fiiatter for a man to detect in himself inveterate pride, because in truth, the more we suffer under this sin, the less do we see of it. For pride is generated in the mind exactly as darkness in the eyes. For the wider it spreads itself, the more does it contract the light. Pride then grows up gradually in the heart, and when it has extended itself wider and wider, it closes entirely the sight of the mind which sutlers from it, so that the captive mind can both suffer from the haughtiness of pride, and yet be unable to behold that under which it suffers. But because haughty men, as we have said, sometimes hold sound views in an unsound way, and know how to invent good arguments, but scorn to state them aright; Eliu, after the haughty pride w ith which be had said, IJ ihou Jiast undcrstatidiny, hear what is said^ subjoins, saying, Ver. 17. Can he be healed that luveth not judgment? How dost thou so much condemn him that is Just?
51. He uttered a proper sentiment, but it ought not to xxiv. have been uttered to blessed Job. For in every thing which is said we must by all means consider, what is said, to whom it is said, where it is said, how it is said. But Fliu con- sidered only what he was saying, but did not consider to whom he was saying it. For blessed Job loved judgment, since he knew how to weigh his causes carefully with the Lord. Nor had he condemned Him that is just: but humbly enquired, when involved in grief, why he had been smitten when without sin. He loves judgment, whoever examines his own ways minutely, and enters into the secret 90 CmOcI holds princes, tJial exult in power, Apostates. Job 34, chambers of his heart, and there considers what the Lord ^ bestows on him, and what he owes to the Lord. But how had blessed Job not acted thus, who used to offer such frequent sacrifices in expiation for his sons, even on account of their thoughts? Because then Eliu said, that he tliat loveth not judgment cannot be healed, accusing blessed Job of not loving judgment, and of having condemned Him who is just, he immediately subjoins the righteousness of that same righteous One, that is, the Lord, saying, Ver. 18. Who saith to a king, Apostate: who calleth leaders ungodly, XXV. 52. We know often that most of those who rule exact an inordinate degree of dread from their subjects, ^d that they wish them to venerate them not so much for the Lord's sake, as in the Lord's place. For they exalt themselves with pride of heart within, and despise all under them in comparison with themselves, nor do they advise them with condescension, but oppress them with authority; because, in truth, they set themselves up with lofty thoughts, and do not acknowledge themselves to be equal with those over whom they happen to rule. Against this pride it is said in the Book Ecclesiasticus, Ecciu?. Have they appointed thee a ruler f Be not lifted up, but be ' * among them as one of them. This pride the Lord also Ez. 34, reproving by the Prophet in shepherds, saith, But ye ruled over them with austerity and with power. For the good advice which they offer to their subjects, they bring out as ordering, rather than as advising with them: for the very reason, that to say any thing to them as if they were on equal terms, they consider a degradation. For they rejoice in their singular preeminence, and not in the equality of their creation. But because the Lord carefully considers those swelling hearts of rulers, it is well said against them, Who saith to a king. Apostate. For every haughty ruler falls into the sin of apostasy, as often as, through pleasure at his ruling over men, he rejoices in his pecidiar distinction. For he considers not under Whom he himself is, and exults over his equals, for that he is as it were not their equal. But whence is it that this root of evil springs up in the heart of rulers, unless it be in imitation of him, who, having scorned Is. 14, the society of angels, said, /^^^7/ ascend above the height of I Pride in rulers leads subjects to ungodlitiess. 91 the clouds, and will be like the 3Iost High? Since then every Book ruler, as often as he prides himself on ruling over others, is ^: cut off, by falling into pride, from dependence on the Chief Ruler of all: and, because when he despises his equals who are subject to him, he does not acknowledge the supreme dominion of Him under Whom all are equal; it is rightly said, JVho saith to a king, Apostate.
53. But since by domineering over others they lead their subjects to impiety by the example of their pride, it is fitly subjoined, Who calleth leaders ungodly. For they would lead them into the way of piety, if they did but present a pattern of humility to the eyes of their subjects. But he is an ungodly ieader, who diverges from the path of truth, and who, when falling headlong himself, invites his followers to tlio precipice. He is an ungodly leader who points out the way of error by setting examples of pride. Paul was afraid of being an ungodly leader, when he brought down the lofti- ness of his power, saying, Not seeking glory of men, neither i Thess. of you nor yet of others, when we might have been a burden ^' ^' as the Apostles of Christ, but we becarne as children in the midst of you. He had become as a child in the midst of them, because he was afraid lest he should set example of pride, if he claimed, among his disciples, the honour due to his high station. He was afraid, in truth, lest if he were to seek for himself the power of pastoral authority, the flock com- mitted to him should follow him along precipitous places, and lest he, who had undertaken an office of piety, should be leading to ungodliness those who followed him.
54. It is therefore necessary for a person in high place to take special care what example he sets his subjects, and to know that he is living for all those, over whom he knows he is placed. He should be especially watchful not to pride himself on his being set above others, lest he should exact too immoderately the privileges of rightful authority, lest the rule of discipline should be converted into the severity of pride, and lest by the power he possessed of restraining his subjects from wickedness, he should pervert the more the hearts of those who behold him; and lest (as was before observed) he should become a leader of impiety by means of his pious office. A man, however, ought not to undertake to guide 92 (iood rulers, iti judyliuj^lJiiiilc of' Jinhjment to couie.
JoD 34, others, who does not know how to lead them in holy living; : — lest he, who has been appointed to reprove others' faults, sliall himself coniuiit the sin which it was Ins duty to cut off. Let rulers therefore lake special care to live for themselves and those under them: to hide in the bosom of their mind the good which they do, and yet furnish thereby an example of good behaviour for the benefit of those who follow them; to correct the faults of their subjects by doing judgment, and yet not pride themselves at the severity of this same punishment; to be content with slightly reproving certain faults, and yet not to relax the bonds of discipline by this lenity; to overlook, and bear with other evils, and yet not to suffer them to make head by their overlooking them. These things are laborious, and, unless Divine grace support, hard to keep. But it is rightly said by the Book of Wisdom of the coming Wisd.6, of the strict Judge, Horribly and speedily will He appear, for a very shai'p judgment shall be to them who are in high places. Since therefore people too commonly launch out into pride from the power of rule, and pride itself is counted as an impiety by the strict Judge, it is well said by Eliu of the Lord, WJio calleth leaders ungodly. For when they are proud of their authority, they lead by their example those under them to impiety.
55. A person then who is appointed to rule over men, must be especially careful, within the secret chambers of his mind, to preside in the seat of humility. And when others stand before him without, as he gives his sentence, he should with watchful eye behold Him, before Whom he is hereafter to stand to be judged for these very matters: that so he may behold Him with greater confidence, when he has seen Him, the more anxiously he trembles now before Him, Whom he does not behold. Let him consider then, that he who is hardly able perhaps to satisfy so strict a Judge for his own soul, has, from his ruling over so many subjects, so many souls (so to speak) singly to answer for to Him, at the time for rendering his account. And if this thought continually penetrates the mind, it crashes all the swelling of pride. And a careful rider will be called neither an apostate king, nor an ungodly ruler, the more anxiously he regards the power he has received not as Power, that pleases 71 ow, heavy hereafter. 93 an honour, but as a burden. For he that is well ])lease(l Book . XXIV.
at being a judge now, feels no pleasure at beholding the^^"^ Judge then. For the faults which are committed from the 6, is. desire of obtaining power, cannot be numbered. But autho- rity is then alone properly exercised, when it is held not in love of it, but in fear. And in order that it may be properly administered, necessity, and not our own desire, should, in the first place, impose it on us. But it neither ought to be abandoned through fear when once undertaken, nor, again, embraced as an object of desire; for fear a ])erson should, as if by reason of humility, be guilty of greater pride, in contemning and shrinking from the course of the Divine dispensation: or should cast off the yoke of his Heavenly Ruler, the more his own private authority over others gives him pleasure. When power then is possessed it must not be greedily loved, but patiently endured; in order that then, at the jndgment, it may be a light burden to our comfort, as we know it now for a service which is heavy to be borne.
BOOK XXV.
BOOK XXV.
In explanation of the thirty-fourth chapter from the nineteenth to the thirtieth verse, the punishments of the reprohate, and the secret judg- ments of God are discussed.
Job 34, 1. The very mode of man's creation shews, how far he ^^' surpasses all things beside. For the reason which has been conferred on man proclaims how far a rational nature sur- passes all things which are deficient in either life, or sense, or reason. And yet, because we close our eyes to inward and invisible objects, and feast them on those which are seen, we most commonly esteem a man, not for what he is in himself, but from what is accidental to him. And since we do not look at what a man is in himself, but what he can do, in our acceptance of persons we are influenced, not by the persons themselves, but by what accidentally belongs to them. And thus it comes to pass, that even that person is inwardly despised by us, who is outwardly held in honour; for whilst he is honoured for that which is about him, he is. from his own doings, placed low in our judgment. But' Almighty God examines the conduct of men, solely on the nature of their deserts, and frequently inflicts severer punish- ment, from the very fact, that He has here given greater opportunities of serving Him. As the Truth Itself bears Lukei2, witness, saying, To tvhom much is given, of him much will h required. Whence it is now well said by Eliu, (ver. 19. IVJiO accepteth not the person of princes, and hath no regarded a tyrant, when disputing against the poor. ii' 2. But by prince, or tyrant, may be understood everj proud person; but the humble may be designated by th< poor. He does not regard then a tyrant, when disputin| against the poor, because He declares that He knows not, ii! the judgment, any proud men who now oppress the life c :!
Il Death of the ungodly^ atid utiprepared, sudden, 95 the humble, saying, / knofv you not, whence ye are. And Book because He thus destroys him, when He wills, by His j^^^^^^ power, as He created him, when He willed, by His power, it26. is fitly added in argument, For they are all the work of His hands.
And it is immediately added, Ver -20. Suddenly shall they die, and the people shall bow down at midniyJit, and pass away.
3. However long it be before the ungodly are taken out of iii. this life, they are taken away suddenly, and at an instant, since ihey know not how to foresee their end by thinking on it. That is sudden to any one, which he has not been able to think of beforehand. That rich man was taken away suddenly, who left the barns which he was preparing, and found the place of hell, which he was not looking for. He was employing his soul in thinking in one direction, he parted with it in another by his sentence. He fixed his thoughts on one object when alive, he experienced another when he was dying. For he left those temporal things, which he had long engaged in, and he found eternal things which he did not look for. Whence, in consequence of this his blind igno- rance, it is well said to him by the Divine sentence. This night Lukei2, do they require thy soul of thee. For that soul was taken away by night, which was lost in blindness of heart. That was taken away by night, which refused to enjoy the light of consider- ation, in order to foresee what it would suffer. Whence the Apostle Paul rightly says to his disciples who are thinking on future things, But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that i Thew.
day should overtake you as a thief. Ye arc all the children ' of light, and children of day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. For the day of death seizes as a thief in the night, when it casts out the souls of foolish men, which do not look onward to the future. Whence it is here also fitly subjoined. And the people shall bow down at midnight, and pass away. They bow down and pass away at midnight, who are brought low and swept away by the darkness of their negligence. They wnll then be bowed down by the sentence of the Judge, who now refuse to bend with humility of heart. But the Elect bow themselves of their own accord in humility, that they may not be bowed 9() The temporal life of fallen matt is ever passing away.
Job 84, down aj'ainst their will in deatli. Whence is it said to 20 ^— Holy Church, of the converted children of her persecutors, Is. 60, T}ie sons of them who hnmhled thee^ shall come hendimj to thee.
4. And he says properly of dying j)eoples, not that " they will pass along," but pass awaij, because simply by living in the world we are daily coming to an end, and we pass along this present life, as though wearing a track in a road. But that men live subject to death, is a kind of journeying death- wards. And every day we pass of our life, we are a])})roacliing as it were on our journey by as many steps to the appointed spot. But the very increase of our years, is a wearing them away; for the length of our life begins to be not so much as it was at first. But the first man was so fashioned, that, as time passed on, he remained stationary, so as not to journey on together with it. For he remained still, as the moments hasted away; since he did not approach to the end of his life, through the increase of his days. And he stood the firmer, the closer he clung to Him who is ever stationary. But after he touched the forbidden thing, having offended his Creator, he began to pass onward together with time. Having lost, namely, the stability of an immortal condition, the stream of mortal being engulphed him. And, while borne along by youth to age. and by age to death, he learned, as he journeyed on, what he was when he remained stationary. And because we are sprung from his stock, we retain, like shoots, the bitterness of our root. For because we derive our origin from him, we inherit his course of life, at our birth, so that every n^ment of every day that we live, we are constantly passing away from life, and the length of our life decreases by the very means by w^hich it is believed to increase. Since then we are daily proceeding, as our years increase, to the issue of death, it is well said of the dying, not that they pass along, but pass away. For they pass along, even while they live, but pass away, as they die. It follows.
And they will take away the violent without hand. iv. 5. Thou understandest, ' The divine judgments.' But they will take him away without hand, who was violent with his hand. They will take him away without hand, because Vengeance delayed falls heavier on the impenitent. 97 namely, he is snatched awav, by the violence of a sudden Book death, invisibly, who used visibly to s})oil others. Ile-^— ^ — ~ beheld those whom he spoiled, but beholds not him who hurries him away in death. The violent therefore is taken iway without hand, because he both beliolds not his spoiler, ind yet is hnrried along. And there follows him a severer sentence, the lonj^er p^reat forbearance is extended' to him 'a^-'waa firof vhen sinning: because the severity of God punishes agrant- >inner tlie more strictly, the longer it has borne Aviih him.^*^'' 3ut it is frequently the case, that while the Divine mercy s waiting for sinners, they plunge into greater blindness )f heart. Whence it is written, Knowest thou not that the 'Rom. 2, loodness of God leadelh thee to repentance? Bui after hy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up for hyself ivrath ayainst the day of ivrath^ and revelation of the •ighteous judgment of God? Observe, then, that while the nan of violence is spoiling those whom he is able, is jppressing the weak, and indulging a long time all his sinful lesires; because he is not smitten at once, and because his mnishment is deferred to the end, his most wicked conduct s believed not to be observed by God. After then he had poken of his death, he immediately rightly added concerning he Lord, \'er. 21. For His eyes are over the ways of men, and He onsiders all their steps.
6. For He was then believed not to observe them, while v.
his man of violence was committing, unpunished, all the ickedness he could. God was supposed not to behold the CL'ds of the ungodly, because He was delaying to condemn ' ni justly; and His great forbearance was regarded as a (1 of carelessness. The wicked also himself believed that e was not observed by God in the commission of sin, as ften as he sinned without being punished. To whom it is lid by a certain wise man, Satj not, I have sinned, and what Ecclus. arm hath happened to me? He does not wish to correct^' ^* le wickedness, for which he has not suffered the punishment ; deserved: and the more mercifully he is spared, the more infully is he urged on to wickedness: and, despising the )ng-suffering of the Divine forbearance, he has added to his uilts, from the very circumstance that should have led him VOL. III. H 98 Judgment delaf/efi, not neglected. ' Steps' in deed or thought Job 34, to correct tbcni. As is said by this very Job, Qod'gave him —- — a place for repeniance^ hut he miHusefi it in his pride.