who whilst they are abandoned to the gratifications of their fleshly part, still bear the
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yoke of rottenness?
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yoke of rottenness?
St Gregory - Moralia - Job
[Is.
65, 20] As though he deterred us in plain words, saying, ‘The life of a child indeed is drawn to a great length, in order that he may be corrected of childish doings, but if he be not even by length of time restrained from the commission of sin, this very length of life, which he received in pitifulness, is made to grow to him into an
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aggravation of cursing. ’ Whence it is necessary that the longer time that we see ourselves to be waited for, we fear the very seasons of pitifulness before granted [praerogatae] as the grounds of condemnation, lest by the clemency of the Judge the punishment of the sinner should be heightened, and by the same means whereby anyone might have been rescued from death, he should tend to death in a manner the more disastrous. Which is for this reason very often brought to pass, because the eye of the mind is not in the least degree weaned from things present. For the sinner is careless to regard the ways of the Redeemer, and so he grows old in his own paths without stopping. Hence it is added;
For his eyes are upon his ways.
[vii]
9. For the sinner ‘regards his own ways,’ because he sets himself to mind only, to have an eye only for, things which may stand him in stead for temporal advantage. Thus it is hence Paul saith, All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. [Phil. 2, 21] For the way of the highminded is pride; the way of the robber, avarice; the way of the lecherous, carnal concupiscence. Thus every bad man bends his eyes down on his own ways, in that he is intent on vicious pursuits alone, that by these he may satisfy his mind. Whence it is said by Solomon, The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth; because that only they regard with the whole bent of the heart, whereby they may attain to the end of earthly desire. Now the sinner would never fix the gaze of his looking on earth, if he lifted up the eyes of the mind to the holy paths of his Redeemer. Whence it is again said by Solomon, The wise man’s eyes are in his head; [Eccl. 2, 14] in this way, viz. that with undivided intentness the wise man regards Him, of Whom he reflects by faith that he is a member. For these ways of man’s walk and conversation, he had deemed it little worth to have in his eye, who said, I will meditate in Thy statutes, and have respect unto Thy ways. [Ps. 119, 15] As if he gave his word in plain terms, saying, ‘The things which are mine own I henceforth eschew the seeing of, in that by the path of the imitating of Thee I burn to go on in the steps of behaviour. ’ For he who henceforth withstands the present world, by the continual inciting of love presents the ways of his Redeemer to the eyes of the heart, that so the mind may eschew what is prosperous, be in readiness for what is adverse, desire nought that soothes down, dread nought that is supposed to dismay, account sorrow joy, estimate the delights of the present life as the ills of woe, not fear the diminutions of a state of scorn, but thereby-seek room for enduring glory. For these ways Truth shewed to the eyes of those that were following Him, when He said, If any man serve Me, let him follow Me. [John 12, 26] To these ways he recalled the swelling hearts of the Disciples, when they were already seeking room for glory, but knew not the pathway of that glory, saying, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? For they had been seeking the height of that session with Him on the right hand and on the left hand, but how great the narrowness of the pathway thereunto they did not see; and hence the cup of the Passion is at once presented to their eyes as a thing for them to imitate, that, surely, if they were making for the joys of exaltedness, they should first find the way of humility. And therefore because the sinner is careless to have an eye to the ways of God, but is bent on those only wherein he may be made to delight in a carnal manner, it is rightly said in this place, For his eyes are upon his ways. It proceeds;
Ver. 24. They are exalted for a little while, but they shall not hold on. [viii]
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10. The glory of bad men, whilst it is for the most part extended into a multitude of years, is by the minds of the weak reckoned to be long and as it were stable; but when an instantaneous end cuts it off, surely it proves to its face that it was short, because the end by putting a limit makes it known that that which was capable of passing away was little. And so ‘they are exalted for a little while, and do not hold on,’ because from the mere circumstance that they seek to appear high, they are by self-exalting made far removed from the true essence of God. For they are not able to hold on, because they are severed from the solid basis of the Eternal Essence, and they undergo this first ruining, that by glorying in self they fall in themselves. For hence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou castedst them down, when they were lifted up [Ps. 73, 18]; because they are brought down within,
in proportion as they arise wrongly without. Regarding this shortness of temporal glory, he saith again; I have seen the wicked above measure exalted, and lifted up like a cedar of Libanus; I passed by, and lo, he was gone. [Ps. 37, 35] Hence again he saith, For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be. [ib. 10] Hence James says, For what is Your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time. Hence the Prophet reflecting on the shortness of carnal glory, tells it forth, saying, All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of hay. [Is. 40, 6] For the power of the wicked is likened to the ‘flower of hay,’ because the glory of the flesh, whilst it shines bright, it falls, whilst it is exalted in itself, cut off by a sudden end it is brought to a close. For in the same way by the blowing of breezes the stubble is caught on high, but by an instantaneous fall it is brought back to earth below. Thus the smoke is lifted up to the clouds, but suddenly whilst swelling out it is scattered to nought. Thus the vapour from beneath thickening lifts itself on high, but the ray of the sun when risen clears it away, as though it had not been. Thus on the surface of the herbs the moisture of the dew of night is sprinkled, but by the sudden heat of the light of day it is dried away. Thus the foamy bubbles of water, raised on showers beginning, come forth racing from within, but being burst asunder they come to nought the more quickly in proportion as being inflated they are raised higher, and when they grow to a head, so as to appear, in growing they make it that they should ‘not hold on. ’ Therefore concerning the wicked that are swoln with the exaltation of temporal glory, and yet not enduring with any stedfastness in this glory, let it be rightly said, they are exalted for a little while, but they shall not hold on. Of whom it is yet further added;
And they shall be brought low as all things, and shall be taken away.
[ix]
11. Such should be the advancement of contemplation, that it should be carried off from few things to the taking a view of many, from many to taking a view of all things, so that being led forth step by step it should advance; and whilst judging all things transitory should by comprehending itself grow forth well nigh incomprehensibly. Hence the holy man, whilst he was sifting the glory and the failing of the wicked, stretched to ‘all things’ presently the eye of the mind, saying, they shall be brought low as all things, and shall be taken away; ‘all things’ earthly assuredly. As though he said in plain words; ‘They cannot any way stand, because the very things flee away as well whereon they rest for support, and while they are in love with things temporal, along with these by the currency of time they run to an end. ’ But it may be asked, whereas it is said by Solomon, One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever [Eccl. 1, 4]; why does blessed Job declare that all things ‘are brought low, and taken away? ’ Yet this we easily sift out, if we keep distinct how earth and heaven either pass away or remain. For both these in respect of that figure which they now have pass away, yet in respect of their essence they are
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held in being without end. Hence it is said by Paul, For the fashion of this world passeth away. [1 Cor. 7, 31] Hence Truth saith by Itself, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. [Mat. 24, 35] Hence it is told John by the voice of the Angel, There shall be a new heaven and a new earth. [Rev. 21, 1] Which indeed are not to be created other things, but these very same are renewed. And thus heaven and earth at once ‘pass away’ and ‘shall be,’ seeing that both by fire from that fashion which they now have they are clean wiped out, and yet in their own nature are ever preserved. Hence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed. [Ps. 102, 26] Which same final changing of themselves they do now announce to us by those very successions, whereby for our services they unceasingly shift about. For the earth by the dryness; of winter falls off from its fashion, by the moisture of spring it is made green. Heaven is every day overlaid by the darkness of night, and renewed by the brightness of day. Hence, then, hence let every believer gather that these things both perish, and yet by renewal are restored, which it is plain are now perpetually as it were from decay being refitted. In the midst of all this then the holy man, whilst he beholds the course of the wicked, makes it known with what a visitation they are one day to come to nought, when he forthwith adds;
And as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be crushed.
[x]
12. For the tops of the ears of corn are the beards; now the beards come out joined in an ear of corn, but going on growing little by little they are separated from one another bristly and rough. Thus, verily, thus, as to this world’s glory do the evil-minded rich ones rise up. For by a fellowship of nature they are joined to one another, but going on increasing they are in turn divided against one another. For one looks down upon another, and a second is inflamed against a third with the torches of envy; they then who by the swelling of the mind separate themselves from the unity of charity, as it were after the way of beards stand bristling against one another. What then might I have called the evilminded rich ones of this world but a kind of beards of the human race, who while they are lifted high against one another, but with one consent press hard upon the life of the good, are indeed divided against themselves, yet with one accord bear down the grains beneath.
13. At this present time then the beards spring up on high, the grains lie hidden; because both the power of lost sinners towers high, and the glory of the Elect does not appear. The one shew themselves off in the high estate of honours, the others lower themselves in humility. But the time of winnowing will arrive, which is calculated both to break the bristling of the beards, and not to bruise the solid grains. For then the pride of the wicked is broken in pieces, then the life of the Elect is shewn to view, with what faultlessness it shines bright; in that while the unrighteous are undone, by this very crushing of the beard it is brought to pass that the grains should appear, which were holden out of sight; and when the beards are broken, the whiteness of the grains is made to appear, because upon the wicked falling into everlasting punishments, the righteousness of the Saints is manifested, with what truth it is shining white. Whence too it is rightly said by John, Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner: but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. [Matt. 3, 12] So let blessed Job mark with what awful visitation the pride of bad men shall be broken, and comparing them to beards that perish, let him say, Like the tops of ears of corn they shall be crushed. Surely because the bristling of the proud is broken by the stress of the final winnowing, whereas now looking down upon the life of the Elect it is lifted up. It proceeds;
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Ver. 25. And if it be not so now, who will convict me of having lied, and set my words before God?
[xi]
14. If it be not so as he tells, then surely all people are able to convict him of falsehood. Why then is it said, And if it be not so now, who will convict me of having lied? i. e. whilst we know that, one who is false, it is allowed anyone to find fault with? But if we sift out the sense of the speaker with exact questioning, how light the things are that he put forth, we speedily discover. For the righteous man, though he does ever speak any thing wrong, yet it is far from meet that he should be judged by the unrighteous and ill living. Whence the holy man lowering the pride of his friends, not even if it be so, but even ‘if it be not so’ as he set forth, is confident that he can never be found fault with, because assuredly those are able rightly to reprove things that are false, who are not taught to do things that are false. For the daring of reproof against deceit those persons lose, who still live on principles of deceit. Therefore he says, And if it be riot so now, who will convict me of having lied? As if he said in plain words; ‘All things are so as I have set forth, but if they were not so, I could not a whit be charged home with them by you; for whilst ye still give way to your own deceit, ye are not able to find fault with the deceit of another. ’
15. In which place it is fitly added; And to set my words before God. For whoever really finds fault with false sayings in the true way, in thinking on the things he has heard and estimating them by the rule of truth ‘sets words before God,’ because to himself in the eye of Truth he makes proof what he should outwardly decree against falsehood. Since ‘to set words before God’ is with the interior Judge kept in view to estimate the exterior sayings. Thus the holy man does not reckon it possible for his ‘words to be set before God’ by friends behaving with pride. As if he said in plain terms, ‘The things which I utter ye are for this reason unable to set before the Judge, because by committing sin ye hide His face from you? ’ Which same, however, nothing hinders from being understood in type of Holy Church as well, which whilst for her weak members she is found fault with by the scoffing of heretics, laughs to scorn that same craftiness of their scoffing, because with God it is more tolerable that a man should be prostrated in weakness and in ignorance, in conjunction with humility, than that he should compass high themes with self-exaltation. But forasmuch as the holy man had uttered many words against those, who by transitory power are made proud, and with windy honours swell themselves out; by his rebuke Bildad the Shuhite gaining ground has his eyes opened to see with Whom true power is deposited; saying,
Ver. 2. Dominion and fear are with Him; Who maketh peace in His high places.
[xii] [LITERAL INTERPRETATION]
16. As though he expressed himself in plain words; ‘He only truly terrifies the hearts of mortals, who by the power of His Divine nature truly possesses these. ’ For what terror does the power of man infuse, which knows not when it may lack the light of that power? Now it is rightly said, He maketh peace in His high places. Because there are many things at variance with themselves below, but they run answerably to the harmonious fulness of things above, and by the causing of the interior peace it is brought to pass, that oftentimes the things that are without are ordered without peace. Thus the good, Almighty God is advancing to merit, when He permits the bad to rage against their life; and things above are made to fit together in harmony, whilst those below are
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thrown into confusion; because in the heavenly world He joins His Elect to the choirs of the Angels by the same means, whereby in the earthly and lowest scene of things, He bears the practices of lost sinners opposing His behests.
17. But herein it is of interest to us to enquire, if the highest peace is maintained ‘in the high places,’ what that is which is said to Daniel by the Angel, I am come for thy words; but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. [Dan. 10, 13] And a little afterward; And now will I return to fight with the prince of the Persians. For when I was going forth there appeared the prince of the Greeks coming. [v. 20] Whom else then but Angels does he call the ‘Princes’ of the nations, that could have had the power to resist him as he went forth? Accordingly what peace can there be ‘in the high places,’ if even among the Angelical spirits themselves also there is a conflict of warring carried on, who are always standing present to the view of Truth? But because there are fixed charges of the Angels set to superintend the regulating of the several particular nations, when the practices of the subject peoples deserve the assistance of the presiding spirits against one another, the spirits themselves that are set in charge are said to come against one another. Thus the Angel that spake to Daniel is known to have been appointed over the captives of the Israelitish People established in Persia, but Michael is ascertained to be the ruler of those who remained in the land of Judaea from among the same people. And hence it is said a little afterwards to Daniel by this same Angel; And there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael, your prince. [v. 21] Concerning whom he says this too which we have before said, but, to, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Who whereas he is never said ‘to be with,’ but to ‘come to help’ is plainly seen to be set over that people which was held captive in another part. What then is it for the Angel to say, I am come for thy words, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me, but to tell his doings to those under him? As if he said in plain words; ‘The claims [merita] of thy prayers indeed demand that the Israelitish People should be loosed from the yoke of their captivity, but there is still in that same people that which must be purged by the dominion of the Persians; so that touching the liberation of that people the prince of Persia should by rights withstand me, though to thy prayers the tears of those too who were left in Judaea come in aid. ’ Whence he subjoins that too which we said; But, lo, Michael, your prince, came to help me. And when he goes forth in order to fight against the prince of the Persians, there appeareth to him the prince of the Greeks coming towards him. By which circumstance it is implied that against the Greeks too Judaea had been guilty of somewhat, on account of whom without a doubt it was that he withstood the rescuing of her. So the Angel hears effectually the prayers of the Prophet, but the prince of Persia withstands, because though the life of the righteous one making supplication already claims the rescue of the People, yet the life of that same People still withstands, that whereas those that had been brought into captivity were not yet completely purified, Persia should rightfully have the dominion over them still. Michael gives aid, but the prince of Greece comes to battle, because that lengthened captivity of the People suffering oppression might indeed have merited pardon, but to the benefit of their liberation that also stood opposed, which they had done wrong against the Greeks. Therefore it is rightly said that the Angels come against each other, because the claims of the nations under them are reciprocally at odds with one another. For the lofty Spirits that are princes to those nations never fight in behalf of those that act unjustly, but justly judge and try their deeds. And when either the guilt or guiltlessness of each separate nation is brought into the debate of the Court Above, the ruling Spirit of that nation is said to have won in the conflict or not to have won; the one identical victory of all of whom, however, is the Supreme Will of their Maker above
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them, which Will whilst they ever have before their eyes, what they have not the power they have not the mind to obtain. Therefore it is well said, Who maketh peace in His high places. It follows; Ver. 3. Is there any number of His soldiers?
[xiii]
18. In the cognizance of human reason there is not any number of the spirits above, in that it cannot tell how great is that concourse of the Invisible Host, whereof it is said by Daniel, Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. [Dan. 7, 10] The number of the citizens above is represented as infinite and definite, in order that that which relatively to God is capable of being numbered may be shewn relatively to man to be incapable of being numbered. Though it is one thing ‘to stand before,’ and another thing to ‘minister to. ’ For those Powers stand before Him without a doubt, which never go forth for the communicating things to men. But those ‘minister to’ Him, who come for discharging the offices of bearers of tidings; yet these same beings also, by the act of contemplation, are not withdrawn from the interior world. And because they are more in number that ‘minister’ than those that preeminently ‘stand before Him,’ the number of those so ‘standing in presence’ is represented as being definite, but of those that ‘minister’ as indefinite.
19. Now the Angelical spirits we rightly call ‘the soldiers’ of God, because we are not unaware that those war against the powers of the air, which same conflicts however they carry on not by labour but by authority; for whatsoever thing, in acting against impure spirits, they desire for, by the aid of Him Who ruleth all things, they are equal to. So of this army when our King was born it is written, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host. [Luke 2, 13] Unto which same heavenly host the number of the Elect of men too is joined, who by the lofty aspirations of the mind are set free from the bondage of an earthly conversation. Concerning whom it is said by Paul, No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. Which same though now they be shewn few in number, yet in the invisible country they reign innumerably many, in that though by comparison with the evil-minded they are few, yet in the concourse of their assemblage they cannot be any way measured. But because the goodness of those soldiers is set firm not by their own powers, but by the inspiration of grace from Above, it is rightly added,
And upon whom doth not His light arise?
[xiv]
20. For ‘the light’ of God is preventing grace, which if it never arose of free gift in our heart, assuredly our mind would remain dim in the darkness of its sins. And hence it is added;
Ver. 4. Can a man be justified being compared with God? or can he be found clean that is born of a woman?
[xv]
21. This verse is spoken above by blessed Job, and is now repeated in the upbraiding of him; since every just man is just by illumination from God, not by comparison with God. For man’s righteousness when compared with the Maker is unrighteousness, since, even although man had held fast in his own estate of creation, the creature could never be equalled to the Creator. To
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which creature howsoever, unto heavier burthens of deficiency, there accrued sin also, which the serpent by plotting brought in, and woman proving frail recommended. Hence now, forasmuch as man is born by the agency of woman who is made subject to sin, the frailty of the first guilt is inherited in the offspring; and because the branch of the human race was made rotten in the root, it does not hold up in the greenness of its creation. Hence it is rightly said now, Can a man be justified being compared with God? or can he be found clean that is born of a woman? As if it were expressed in plain terms, ‘Let not man entertain pride against his Creator, let him reflect whence he came hither, and understand what he is. ’ But observe, there are those that when by the gift of the Spirit they are holpen against the frailty of their flesh, are made to erect themselves, gleam forth in virtues, yea, flash out in the marvels of miraculous signs as well, yet is there no man who may pass through life free from sin, so long as he bears upon him flesh of corruption. Whence it is yet further added;
Ver. 5. Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in His sight. [xvi]
22. What is denoted by ‘the moon’ but the whole Church together? what by ‘the stars’ but the souls of the several persons that live rightly? who amidst the practices of wicked men, whilst they are conspicuous by rare virtues, as it were shine in the darkness of night. Whence likewise it is said by Paul to the disciples; Among whom ye shine like lights in the world. [Phil. 2, 15] For that Holy Church is represented by the designation of ‘the moon,’ the Prophet bears witness, saying, The sun was lifted up, and the moon stood in her order. [Hab. 3, 11] For on ‘the sun being lifted up, the moon is established in her order,’ in that on our Lord ascending into the heavens, Holy Church is thereupon made strong in the authoritative function of preaching. And that by the title of ‘stars’ the Elect are represented, Paul again informs us, by saying, For one star differeth from another star in glory. [1 Cor. 15, 41] So ‘the moon doth not shine, and the stars are not clean in His sight,’ because neither doth Holy Church by her own power shine forth in so many miracles, except the gifts of preventing grace fall in showers upon her, nor are the minds of the several persons that live rightly clean of the stains of sinful practices, if they be judged apart from pity; because in the eyes of the strict Judge every single individual his own proneness to corruption doth pollute, unless the grace of One sparing day by day wipe this away. For the mind of the Elect strives to go forth to the liberty of righteousness, but is still bound and tied with the fetters of frailty, and it longs indeed perfectly to get the better of offences, but so long as it is fettered by the corruption of the flesh, it is tied with the chains thereof, even when it would not be. Hence therefore let him collect with what a load of sins they are borne down, who neglect to war against the same, if not even they entirely get the better of evil doing, who strenuously fight against it. And hence it is said, Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not, and the stars are not pure in His sight; it is directly added;
Ver. 6. How much more is man rottenness, and the son of man a worm?
[xvii]
23. As if it were in plain words; ‘If those very persons also cannot be void of contagion, who amidst the darkness of the present life shine bright by virtuous attainments, with what guilt of wickedness are they bound, who still live after the flesh? If those persons cannot be free from sin, who are already walking in the way of heavenly desires, what they who still lie under the loads of sinful habits?
who whilst they are abandoned to the gratifications of their fleshly part, still bear the
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yoke of rottenness? Hence Peter saith; And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? [1 Pet. 4, 18] Hence it is said by Isaiah, Upon the land of My people shalt come up thorns and briars; how much more upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. [Is. 32, 13] For by ‘the land of His People,’ the Lord meaneth the mind of all of the Elect. Upon which He tells of ‘thorns and briars coming up;’ because He sees that not even that very mind is free from the prickles of bad habits. But ‘the house of joy in the joyous city’ is the mind of the wicked, which whilst it neglects to regard the punishments that are destined to come, in the gratification of the flesh going away from itself, revels in empty mirth. Thus he saith; Upon the land of My people shalt come up thorns and briars, how much more upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. As if He said in plain words; If evil habits sink low even the minds of those, who for desire of the heavenly country put themselves to pain, what guilty courses are they brought under, who without any apprehension abandon themselves in the gratification of the flesh?
24. But it is a point to be noticed in his discourse how Bildad observed the order of our creation and of our birth, in that he calls ‘man’ not ‘a worm,’ but ‘rottenness,’ but ‘the son of man’ ‘a worm. ’ For the first parent of the human race was ‘man,’ not ‘the son of man;’ from whom whosoever came forth, was not only ‘man,’ but ‘the son of man’ as well. As then from man springs the son of man, so from rottenness springs the worm. Whence man is lightly called ‘rottenness,’ but the son of man ‘a worm. ’ For the first man was ‘rottenness’ not ‘a worm,’ in that though by death he turned to ‘rottenness,’ yet he did not come by a birth out of rottenness. But he that is the son of man is called ‘a worm,’ because he is henceforth propagated from the corruption of mortal bodies.
25. Therefore because the words of his friends are concluded, blessed Job sets on with a more penetrating acuteness of the suing, and his words are proportionably strong as they are the last; seeing that even in the same way it is the usage of lawyers, that the argument, by which they beforehand see that they are above their adversaries, they reserve for the conclusion of the suit. It follows;
C. xxvi. 1, 2. But Job answered and said, Of whom art thou the helper? whether of one that is powerless? or dost thou sustain the arm of him that is not strong?
[xviii]
26. To help one that is weak is an act of charity, to wish to help one that is powerful, of Pride; and so because his friends, whilst bearing the likeness of heretics, on the plea of helping God, endeavoured to make a display of their own wisdom, Bildad is justly found fault with, that it should be said, Of whom art thou the helper? whether of one that is powerless? or dost thou sustain the arm of him that is not strong? As if he said in plain words; ‘While thou settest thyself to help Him, under Whose greatness thou dost sink to the earth, all the encouragement which thou affordest comes of ostentation, not of piety. ’
27. But herein it is requisite to be known, that even God, Who surely is not ‘powerless,’ we help whilst acting with humility. And hence it is said by Paul, For we are helper’s of God. [1 Cor. 3, 9] For when to him, whom He doth Himself by interior grace pervade, we by the voice of exhortation contribute, this which He through the Spirit brings to pass within, we outwardly by the office of the voice do assist, and then only is our exhortation brought to completion, when God was in the heart,
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to be aided. Hence He saith elsewhere; So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. [ib. 7] For to ‘plant’ and ‘water’ is to ‘help,’ both which will be but a void ministration, if in the heart God ‘giveth not the increase. ’ But they who have high thoughts of their own power of mind, will not be helpers of God with humility; because whilst they reckon themselves to be of use to God, they are making themselves strangers to the fruit of usefulness. And hence it is said to the disciples by the voice of Truth, When ye shall have done all those things that are commanded you say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do. [Luke 17, 10] It proceeds;
Ver. 3. To whom hast thou given counsel? perchance to him that hath not wisdom?
[xix]
28. To ‘give counsel to one that is foolish’ is an office of charity, to give it to one that is wise, of ostentation; but to give it to Wisdom Itself, of wrongmindedness; and because those who we have said bear the likeness of heretics, by their mode of speech, were administering to ostentation rather than to usefulness, it is yet further added rightly against Bildad,
And shewn thine own prudence overmuch.
To one to whom there is right prudence it is not overmuch, because according to Paul’s declaration, he seeketh not to be wise above the degree that he ought to be wise. But to whomsoever there is overmuch prudence, there is not right prudence. For whilst it is carried beyond due measure, it is made to turn off on one side or another of offence. Now they shew their prudence to be ‘overmuch,’ who aim to appear fuller of prudence in comparison of others; whence it very frequently happens that whilst they have not the art to be wise in moderation, they even speak things that are foolish. On account of which circumstance, the actual excess of prudence is yet further subjoined, that it should be said,
Ver. 4. Whom wouldest thou have taught? Was it not Him Who made the breathway?
[xx]
29. By the ‘breathway’ we live, by prudence we are wise. But it is ours first to live, and afterwards to be imbued with wisdom; because in order that we have the power to be wise, it is first brought to pass that we should have being. He, then, Who bestowed life, the same doubtless gave prudence as well. But because Bildad thought blessed Job was scourged for sin, that secret judgment of God which he should have adored in humility, he set himself with overweening temerity to penetrate to the bottom. And so that very One he preferred himself before in respect of prudence, Whose judgment without understanding it he judged. That very One he preferred himself before in prudence, from Whom he received the breathway of life, as though he were wise more than He, the very Being from Whom he had it given it him that he should be. But because blessed Job whilst bearing a type of Holy Church delivered a few things in the rebuking of proud men, who, he was not ignorant, bore a likeness of heretics, according as he said above; I desire to reason with God; first shewing that ye are forgers of lies, and followers of wrong tenets [Job 13, 3. 4. ]; he suddenly lifts himself up to instruction, and in opposition to the ignorance of the highminded, he opens wide the breadth of his knowledge in sentences, saying,
Ver. 5. Lo, the giants groan under the waters.
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[xxi]
30. For it was fitting that by rebuking he should first beat down the swelling of earthly wisdom, and by instruction afterwards pass on to words replete with mysteries. Thus by ‘giants,’ either apostate Angels, or all proud men may without objection be understood. For hence it is said by the Prophet, The dead shall not live, the giants shall not rise up again. [Is. 26, 14] For whom does he call ‘the dead’ saving sinners, and whom does he designate ‘giants’ save those, who over and above take pride in sin. Now the former do ‘not live,’ because by sinning they have forfeited the life of righteousness; these latter too ‘cannot rise up again’ after death, because, after their transgression being swoln with pride, they do not have recourse to the remedies of penitence. Hence it is written again, The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. [Prov. 21, 16] For whosoever forsakes the way of righteousness, to whose number does he join himself, saving to the number of the proud spirits? Now it is well said in opposition to the high-minded, Lo, the giants groan under the waters. As if it were expressed in plain speech; ‘Wherefore on the score of knowledge should man be proud, when the abyss of ignorance keeps at the bottom the very proudest of the spirits of the Angels? ’
31. But if by the name of ‘the giants’ the powerful ones of this world are denoted, in ‘the waters’ we may have the multitudes represented, as John beareth witness, who saith, The waters, which thou seest, are peoples. [Rev. 17, 15] Now against him that is filled with pride it is well spoken; Lo, the giants groan under the waters; because all that are high and lifted up, while in this life they long to attain the highest pitch of honours, groan under the burthens of peoples. For in proportion as a man is the higher lifted up here, he is burthened with so much the heavier cares. And to those very same people in mind and thoughts he is put under, whom in dignity he is put over. And by these words it is well shewn in brief that all pride lies prostrate on the ground by the mere act by which it lifts itself up on high, so as to be the more effectually bowed down beneath all things from the same cause, that it would fain be set above all. For man when he is lifted up in high stations, bears so many in number over him, as he rules persons put beneath him. But those, that are associated with such persons, are by fellowship in their labour themselves also weighed to the ground. For together with them they likewise bear the toilsomeness of the burthen, whilst along with them they go after the gloriousness of the honour. Hence whereas he said, Lo, the giants groan under the waters; he directly added;
And they that dwell along with them.
[xxii]
32. As though he said; ‘Equally with them do they groan,’ who by taking delight are associated to their glory. Now the very employment of worldly dignities is borne down with readier vices in proportion as it is charged with heavier cares. For would that the mind of man even at rest might be able to see and eschew sins! And so because he saw that the longed for heights of affairs cannot be administered without sins, and because it is not hidden from the wrath of God, whatsoever is committed of an unlawful kind, he fitly subjoined in pursuance;
Ver. 6. Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering. [xxiii]
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33. Which same Paul likewise saith, But all things are naked and opened unto His eyes. [Heb. 4, 13] But by the title of ‘hell’ and ‘perdition’ he denoted the devil and all the associates of his condemnation; but Who that One is before whom ‘hell is naked,’ he goes on with telling;
Ver. 7. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place.
[xxiv] [MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION]
34. By the title of the ‘north,’ in Holy Writ the devil is used to be designated, who with the thought to bind up the hearts of the nations with the iciness of insensibility, said, I will sit also upon the mount of the Covenant, in the sides of the north. [Is. 14, 13] And he is ‘stretched over the empty place,’ because he has possession of those hearts, that are not filled with the grace of the love of God. Yet is it competent to Almighty God, that even those vessels of the devil, empty of every virtue, He may fill with the gift of His grace, and deposit the solid substance of Divine fear in those persons, whom He does not see stablished by any conduct of righteousness. Hence it is fitly added; And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
[xxv]
35. For what is denoted by the title of ‘earth,’ saving Holy Church; who, whilst she receives the words of preaching, renders back the fruit of good works? Whereof it is said by Moses, Let the earth hear the words out of my lips, let my speech be looked for like the rain. [Deut. 32, 1. 2. ] And what but the several gentile peoples are denoted by ‘nothing,’ of whom it is spoken by the Prophet, All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted to Him less than nothing. [Is. 40, 17] In that ‘nothing,’ then, is ‘the earth hung suspended,’ which before, being a void place, was occupied by the ‘north;’ because those hearts of the Gentiles became filled with the love of God, which had been aforetime weighed down by a deadness of the devil. But it may be that both by this ‘empty place,’ the infidelity of Judaea is denoted, and by ‘the earth,’ as we said, the propagation of Holy Church. Thus let the holy man look at the fall of Judaea in her perishing, and espy the privileges of the gentile world brought back to pardon, and let him say, He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. For because the hearts of the Gentiles, being void of faith, were made subject to the devil, ‘He stretched the north over the empty place;’ and because, there being no merits forthcoming, (as it is said, For nothing shalt Thou save them, [Ps. 56, 7. Vulg. ]) upon the Gentiles the Lord founded His Church, which same Gentiles are by the Prophet called ‘nothing,’ in pursuing the subject he rightly adds, And hangeth the earth upon nothing. Now in what order this thing was done, he continues in subjoining with wonderful method. For he saith,
Ver. 8. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, that they should not burst forth alike beneath. [xxvi]
36. For what does he call ‘the waters’ in this place but knowledge; what ‘clouds’ but the Preachers? For that in Holy Writ ‘water’ may sometimes be a term used for knowledge, we have been taught by Solomon bearing witness to it, who says, The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook. [Prov. 18, 4] That, by water knowledge is denoted, the Prophet David bears witness, saying, Dark water in clouds of the sky, [Ps. 18, 11] i. e. secret knowledge in the Prophets, who before the Advent of the Lord, whilst, pregnant with
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secret sacraments, they were bearing in them boundless mysteries, to the eyes of beholders had their meaning obscured. But by the name of ‘clouds,’ what else is denoted in this passage but the holy Preachers, i. e. the Apostles, who being dispatched in every direction through the regions of the world, both knew how to shower in words, and to flash forth [coruscare] in miracles? Whom the Prophet Isaiah beholding long before, said, Who are these that fly as clouds? [Is. 60, 8] Thus because this man, filled with the spirit of prophecy, in this utterance of his voice longs that for the praise of God the rise of Holy Church may commence, he betakes himself to tell the order of her rise from the preaching of the Apostles, who took the greatest pains to preach to uninstructed people what was plain and comprehensible, not what was high and arduous. For holy knowledge, which is here set forth by the title of water, if in the same way that they drew it from the heart, so they poured it forth from the lips, by the immensity thereof they would overwhelm rather than water their hearers. Hence his knowledge being unbound within, that it should not burst forth alike beneath, in nourishing his hearers with the dropping of words, that ‘cloud’ spake, saying, And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat. [1 Cor. 3, 1. 2. ] For who could have borne it if he that was caught up to the third heaven, that was caught into paradise, even hearing unutterable words, which it was not permitted to man to speak, had opened such unbounded depths of celestial knowledge? or what hearer’s power would he not overwhelm, if all that he might have been able to draw within, as far as tongue of flesh may suffice, overflowing without the mighty flood of this water had poured forth?
37. But that uninstructed hearers might be comforted not by an inundation of knowledge, but by the tempered dropping of preaching, God tieth up the waters in the clouds, that they may not burst forth alike beneath. Because He tempers the preaching of the teachers, that so the infirmity of the hearers, being nourished by the dew of the things spoken, may be made strong. Which is well described in the Gospel by a mystical mode of representation, where it is said, Jesus entered into the boat of Peter, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land; and he sat down thus, and taught the people. [Luke 5, 3] By Peter’s ship what else is denoted but the Church committed to Peter? and that the Lord may preach to the crowds flocking together out of this ship, He orders it to be ‘thrust out a little from the land. ’ Which same he neither bids to be carried into the deep, and yet does bid that it be thrust out from the land, signifying, surely, that to uninstructed people His preachers ought not to preach either what is too deep relating to the heavenly world, nor yet what is earthly. And so ‘water is bound up in the clouds,’ because the knowledge of the Preachers, speaking to the minds of the frail, is forbidden to teach as much as it is able to see.
38. Since, for the most part, if the heart of the hearers is spoilt by the vastness of the utterance, the tongue of the persons teaching is mulcted in the damage of indiscretion. Whence it is written; And if a man shall open a cistern, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein, the owner of the pit shall make it good. [Ex. 21, 33. 34. ] For what is it ‘to open a cistern,’ saving with strong understanding to penetrate the mysteries of Holy Writ? And what is understood by an ‘ox’ and an ‘ass,’ viz. a clean and an unclean animal, save every believer and unbeliever? Accordingly, let him that ‘diggeth a cistern cover it, lest an ox or an ass tumble headlong therein,’ i. e. let him, who already makes out deep things in Holy Writ, by silence cover over his lofty perceptions before those that do not reach that compass, lest by a stumbling-block to the soul he kill either the believing little one, or the unbelieving, who might have been led to believe. For upon the death of the beasts of burthen there are damages due, plainly because he is convicted of having
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done that, whereby he is held a debtor for the exercising of penance [a]. Accordingly, ‘the cistern must be covered,’ in that before little minds, deep knowledge requires to be veiled, lest by the same cause that the heart of the teachers is lifted up to the highest things, the infirmity of the hearer fall away to the lowest. Accordingly let it be said with justice, He bindeth up the waters in His clouds, that they should not burst forth alike beneath. For ‘the waters would burst forth alike,’ if, in the presence of weak hearers, the knowledge came forth from the lips of the speaker as great as it is, if all the whole fulness of preaching poured itself out at once, and reserved nought to itself together with those making progress. For it is fitting that he that preaches should have an eye to the measure of him that hears him, so that the preaching itself may grow with his hearers’ stages of growth. For so does it behove every single preacher to do, as it is dealt with himself from heaven; never to tell to the weak all that he has the perception of, because he himself too, so long as by flesh of mortality he is weak, does not perceive all those things that belong to heaven. And therefore he ought not to preach to the ignorant as much as he is acquainted with, because even he himself, touching heavenly mysteries, cannot have his eyes open to see how great they are. For hence it is that Paul the Apostle, after he was admitted to the mysteries of heaven, saith, For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face. [1 Cor. 13, 12] And hence it here follows in continuation;
Ver. 9. He holdeth back the face of His Throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it.
[xxvii] [LITERAL INTERPRETATION]
39. In the face there is wont to be shewn forth acquaintanceship. Thus ‘the face of His Throne is held back,’ in that by us in this life the gloriousness of His kingdom is not perceived, so great as it is had within; ‘upon which the cloud’ is rightly said ‘to be stretched;’ because that glory of the heavenly kingdom is not seen such as it is. For the corruptible body presseth down the soul; and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things. [Wisd. 9, 15] And so against seeing it we are besprinkled with a mist, for we are darkened by the mere cloudiness of our ignorance. Whence it is rightly said by the Psalmist, And darkness was under His feet; and He rode above the Cherubim, and did fly; He did fly above the wings of the wind: He made darkness His secret place. [Ps. 18, 9–11] For there is ‘darkness to Him under His feet,’ in that by those beneath He is not seen in that brightness, wherewith He exercises dominion among those above. For He ‘rode above the Cherubim, and did fly;’ since the ‘Cherubim’ is a term used for the fulness of knowledge. By consequence he is said above the fulness of knowledge to have ‘ridden, and to have flown,’ because the loftiness of His Majesty there is no knowledge doth compass. ‘He did fly,’ because He transported Himself on high, far from the reach of our understanding. ‘He did fly above the wings of the wind,’ because He transcended the knowledge of souls. He made darkness too His secret place, because whereas we are dimmed with the mists of our infirmity, by virtue of our ignorance He is hidden from us, that He should not be seen by us now in eternal and interior Brightness. Hence in the Song of Songs also it is said to Him by the Spouse, Escape, my Beloved, escape. [Cant. 8, 14] ‘It escapes us,’ we say, as often as that does not occur to our minds which we wish to remember. ‘It escapes us,’ we say, when that which we wish we do not retain in our recollection. So Holy Church, after that she sets forth the Death and Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord, cries out to Him, full of the Spirit of Prophecy, Escape, my Beloved, escape. As though she said; ‘Thou That art made by the flesh comprehensible, do Thou by Thy Divine Nature transcend the comprehension of our perception, and in Thine own Self remain to us Incomprehensible.
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aggravation of cursing. ’ Whence it is necessary that the longer time that we see ourselves to be waited for, we fear the very seasons of pitifulness before granted [praerogatae] as the grounds of condemnation, lest by the clemency of the Judge the punishment of the sinner should be heightened, and by the same means whereby anyone might have been rescued from death, he should tend to death in a manner the more disastrous. Which is for this reason very often brought to pass, because the eye of the mind is not in the least degree weaned from things present. For the sinner is careless to regard the ways of the Redeemer, and so he grows old in his own paths without stopping. Hence it is added;
For his eyes are upon his ways.
[vii]
9. For the sinner ‘regards his own ways,’ because he sets himself to mind only, to have an eye only for, things which may stand him in stead for temporal advantage. Thus it is hence Paul saith, All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. [Phil. 2, 21] For the way of the highminded is pride; the way of the robber, avarice; the way of the lecherous, carnal concupiscence. Thus every bad man bends his eyes down on his own ways, in that he is intent on vicious pursuits alone, that by these he may satisfy his mind. Whence it is said by Solomon, The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth; because that only they regard with the whole bent of the heart, whereby they may attain to the end of earthly desire. Now the sinner would never fix the gaze of his looking on earth, if he lifted up the eyes of the mind to the holy paths of his Redeemer. Whence it is again said by Solomon, The wise man’s eyes are in his head; [Eccl. 2, 14] in this way, viz. that with undivided intentness the wise man regards Him, of Whom he reflects by faith that he is a member. For these ways of man’s walk and conversation, he had deemed it little worth to have in his eye, who said, I will meditate in Thy statutes, and have respect unto Thy ways. [Ps. 119, 15] As if he gave his word in plain terms, saying, ‘The things which are mine own I henceforth eschew the seeing of, in that by the path of the imitating of Thee I burn to go on in the steps of behaviour. ’ For he who henceforth withstands the present world, by the continual inciting of love presents the ways of his Redeemer to the eyes of the heart, that so the mind may eschew what is prosperous, be in readiness for what is adverse, desire nought that soothes down, dread nought that is supposed to dismay, account sorrow joy, estimate the delights of the present life as the ills of woe, not fear the diminutions of a state of scorn, but thereby-seek room for enduring glory. For these ways Truth shewed to the eyes of those that were following Him, when He said, If any man serve Me, let him follow Me. [John 12, 26] To these ways he recalled the swelling hearts of the Disciples, when they were already seeking room for glory, but knew not the pathway of that glory, saying, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? For they had been seeking the height of that session with Him on the right hand and on the left hand, but how great the narrowness of the pathway thereunto they did not see; and hence the cup of the Passion is at once presented to their eyes as a thing for them to imitate, that, surely, if they were making for the joys of exaltedness, they should first find the way of humility. And therefore because the sinner is careless to have an eye to the ways of God, but is bent on those only wherein he may be made to delight in a carnal manner, it is rightly said in this place, For his eyes are upon his ways. It proceeds;
Ver. 24. They are exalted for a little while, but they shall not hold on. [viii]
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10. The glory of bad men, whilst it is for the most part extended into a multitude of years, is by the minds of the weak reckoned to be long and as it were stable; but when an instantaneous end cuts it off, surely it proves to its face that it was short, because the end by putting a limit makes it known that that which was capable of passing away was little. And so ‘they are exalted for a little while, and do not hold on,’ because from the mere circumstance that they seek to appear high, they are by self-exalting made far removed from the true essence of God. For they are not able to hold on, because they are severed from the solid basis of the Eternal Essence, and they undergo this first ruining, that by glorying in self they fall in themselves. For hence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou castedst them down, when they were lifted up [Ps. 73, 18]; because they are brought down within,
in proportion as they arise wrongly without. Regarding this shortness of temporal glory, he saith again; I have seen the wicked above measure exalted, and lifted up like a cedar of Libanus; I passed by, and lo, he was gone. [Ps. 37, 35] Hence again he saith, For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be. [ib. 10] Hence James says, For what is Your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time. Hence the Prophet reflecting on the shortness of carnal glory, tells it forth, saying, All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of hay. [Is. 40, 6] For the power of the wicked is likened to the ‘flower of hay,’ because the glory of the flesh, whilst it shines bright, it falls, whilst it is exalted in itself, cut off by a sudden end it is brought to a close. For in the same way by the blowing of breezes the stubble is caught on high, but by an instantaneous fall it is brought back to earth below. Thus the smoke is lifted up to the clouds, but suddenly whilst swelling out it is scattered to nought. Thus the vapour from beneath thickening lifts itself on high, but the ray of the sun when risen clears it away, as though it had not been. Thus on the surface of the herbs the moisture of the dew of night is sprinkled, but by the sudden heat of the light of day it is dried away. Thus the foamy bubbles of water, raised on showers beginning, come forth racing from within, but being burst asunder they come to nought the more quickly in proportion as being inflated they are raised higher, and when they grow to a head, so as to appear, in growing they make it that they should ‘not hold on. ’ Therefore concerning the wicked that are swoln with the exaltation of temporal glory, and yet not enduring with any stedfastness in this glory, let it be rightly said, they are exalted for a little while, but they shall not hold on. Of whom it is yet further added;
And they shall be brought low as all things, and shall be taken away.
[ix]
11. Such should be the advancement of contemplation, that it should be carried off from few things to the taking a view of many, from many to taking a view of all things, so that being led forth step by step it should advance; and whilst judging all things transitory should by comprehending itself grow forth well nigh incomprehensibly. Hence the holy man, whilst he was sifting the glory and the failing of the wicked, stretched to ‘all things’ presently the eye of the mind, saying, they shall be brought low as all things, and shall be taken away; ‘all things’ earthly assuredly. As though he said in plain words; ‘They cannot any way stand, because the very things flee away as well whereon they rest for support, and while they are in love with things temporal, along with these by the currency of time they run to an end. ’ But it may be asked, whereas it is said by Solomon, One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever [Eccl. 1, 4]; why does blessed Job declare that all things ‘are brought low, and taken away? ’ Yet this we easily sift out, if we keep distinct how earth and heaven either pass away or remain. For both these in respect of that figure which they now have pass away, yet in respect of their essence they are
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held in being without end. Hence it is said by Paul, For the fashion of this world passeth away. [1 Cor. 7, 31] Hence Truth saith by Itself, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. [Mat. 24, 35] Hence it is told John by the voice of the Angel, There shall be a new heaven and a new earth. [Rev. 21, 1] Which indeed are not to be created other things, but these very same are renewed. And thus heaven and earth at once ‘pass away’ and ‘shall be,’ seeing that both by fire from that fashion which they now have they are clean wiped out, and yet in their own nature are ever preserved. Hence it is said by the Psalmist, Thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed. [Ps. 102, 26] Which same final changing of themselves they do now announce to us by those very successions, whereby for our services they unceasingly shift about. For the earth by the dryness; of winter falls off from its fashion, by the moisture of spring it is made green. Heaven is every day overlaid by the darkness of night, and renewed by the brightness of day. Hence, then, hence let every believer gather that these things both perish, and yet by renewal are restored, which it is plain are now perpetually as it were from decay being refitted. In the midst of all this then the holy man, whilst he beholds the course of the wicked, makes it known with what a visitation they are one day to come to nought, when he forthwith adds;
And as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be crushed.
[x]
12. For the tops of the ears of corn are the beards; now the beards come out joined in an ear of corn, but going on growing little by little they are separated from one another bristly and rough. Thus, verily, thus, as to this world’s glory do the evil-minded rich ones rise up. For by a fellowship of nature they are joined to one another, but going on increasing they are in turn divided against one another. For one looks down upon another, and a second is inflamed against a third with the torches of envy; they then who by the swelling of the mind separate themselves from the unity of charity, as it were after the way of beards stand bristling against one another. What then might I have called the evilminded rich ones of this world but a kind of beards of the human race, who while they are lifted high against one another, but with one consent press hard upon the life of the good, are indeed divided against themselves, yet with one accord bear down the grains beneath.
13. At this present time then the beards spring up on high, the grains lie hidden; because both the power of lost sinners towers high, and the glory of the Elect does not appear. The one shew themselves off in the high estate of honours, the others lower themselves in humility. But the time of winnowing will arrive, which is calculated both to break the bristling of the beards, and not to bruise the solid grains. For then the pride of the wicked is broken in pieces, then the life of the Elect is shewn to view, with what faultlessness it shines bright; in that while the unrighteous are undone, by this very crushing of the beard it is brought to pass that the grains should appear, which were holden out of sight; and when the beards are broken, the whiteness of the grains is made to appear, because upon the wicked falling into everlasting punishments, the righteousness of the Saints is manifested, with what truth it is shining white. Whence too it is rightly said by John, Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner: but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. [Matt. 3, 12] So let blessed Job mark with what awful visitation the pride of bad men shall be broken, and comparing them to beards that perish, let him say, Like the tops of ears of corn they shall be crushed. Surely because the bristling of the proud is broken by the stress of the final winnowing, whereas now looking down upon the life of the Elect it is lifted up. It proceeds;
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Ver. 25. And if it be not so now, who will convict me of having lied, and set my words before God?
[xi]
14. If it be not so as he tells, then surely all people are able to convict him of falsehood. Why then is it said, And if it be not so now, who will convict me of having lied? i. e. whilst we know that, one who is false, it is allowed anyone to find fault with? But if we sift out the sense of the speaker with exact questioning, how light the things are that he put forth, we speedily discover. For the righteous man, though he does ever speak any thing wrong, yet it is far from meet that he should be judged by the unrighteous and ill living. Whence the holy man lowering the pride of his friends, not even if it be so, but even ‘if it be not so’ as he set forth, is confident that he can never be found fault with, because assuredly those are able rightly to reprove things that are false, who are not taught to do things that are false. For the daring of reproof against deceit those persons lose, who still live on principles of deceit. Therefore he says, And if it be riot so now, who will convict me of having lied? As if he said in plain words; ‘All things are so as I have set forth, but if they were not so, I could not a whit be charged home with them by you; for whilst ye still give way to your own deceit, ye are not able to find fault with the deceit of another. ’
15. In which place it is fitly added; And to set my words before God. For whoever really finds fault with false sayings in the true way, in thinking on the things he has heard and estimating them by the rule of truth ‘sets words before God,’ because to himself in the eye of Truth he makes proof what he should outwardly decree against falsehood. Since ‘to set words before God’ is with the interior Judge kept in view to estimate the exterior sayings. Thus the holy man does not reckon it possible for his ‘words to be set before God’ by friends behaving with pride. As if he said in plain terms, ‘The things which I utter ye are for this reason unable to set before the Judge, because by committing sin ye hide His face from you? ’ Which same, however, nothing hinders from being understood in type of Holy Church as well, which whilst for her weak members she is found fault with by the scoffing of heretics, laughs to scorn that same craftiness of their scoffing, because with God it is more tolerable that a man should be prostrated in weakness and in ignorance, in conjunction with humility, than that he should compass high themes with self-exaltation. But forasmuch as the holy man had uttered many words against those, who by transitory power are made proud, and with windy honours swell themselves out; by his rebuke Bildad the Shuhite gaining ground has his eyes opened to see with Whom true power is deposited; saying,
Ver. 2. Dominion and fear are with Him; Who maketh peace in His high places.
[xii] [LITERAL INTERPRETATION]
16. As though he expressed himself in plain words; ‘He only truly terrifies the hearts of mortals, who by the power of His Divine nature truly possesses these. ’ For what terror does the power of man infuse, which knows not when it may lack the light of that power? Now it is rightly said, He maketh peace in His high places. Because there are many things at variance with themselves below, but they run answerably to the harmonious fulness of things above, and by the causing of the interior peace it is brought to pass, that oftentimes the things that are without are ordered without peace. Thus the good, Almighty God is advancing to merit, when He permits the bad to rage against their life; and things above are made to fit together in harmony, whilst those below are
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thrown into confusion; because in the heavenly world He joins His Elect to the choirs of the Angels by the same means, whereby in the earthly and lowest scene of things, He bears the practices of lost sinners opposing His behests.
17. But herein it is of interest to us to enquire, if the highest peace is maintained ‘in the high places,’ what that is which is said to Daniel by the Angel, I am come for thy words; but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. [Dan. 10, 13] And a little afterward; And now will I return to fight with the prince of the Persians. For when I was going forth there appeared the prince of the Greeks coming. [v. 20] Whom else then but Angels does he call the ‘Princes’ of the nations, that could have had the power to resist him as he went forth? Accordingly what peace can there be ‘in the high places,’ if even among the Angelical spirits themselves also there is a conflict of warring carried on, who are always standing present to the view of Truth? But because there are fixed charges of the Angels set to superintend the regulating of the several particular nations, when the practices of the subject peoples deserve the assistance of the presiding spirits against one another, the spirits themselves that are set in charge are said to come against one another. Thus the Angel that spake to Daniel is known to have been appointed over the captives of the Israelitish People established in Persia, but Michael is ascertained to be the ruler of those who remained in the land of Judaea from among the same people. And hence it is said a little afterwards to Daniel by this same Angel; And there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael, your prince. [v. 21] Concerning whom he says this too which we have before said, but, to, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Who whereas he is never said ‘to be with,’ but to ‘come to help’ is plainly seen to be set over that people which was held captive in another part. What then is it for the Angel to say, I am come for thy words, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me, but to tell his doings to those under him? As if he said in plain words; ‘The claims [merita] of thy prayers indeed demand that the Israelitish People should be loosed from the yoke of their captivity, but there is still in that same people that which must be purged by the dominion of the Persians; so that touching the liberation of that people the prince of Persia should by rights withstand me, though to thy prayers the tears of those too who were left in Judaea come in aid. ’ Whence he subjoins that too which we said; But, lo, Michael, your prince, came to help me. And when he goes forth in order to fight against the prince of the Persians, there appeareth to him the prince of the Greeks coming towards him. By which circumstance it is implied that against the Greeks too Judaea had been guilty of somewhat, on account of whom without a doubt it was that he withstood the rescuing of her. So the Angel hears effectually the prayers of the Prophet, but the prince of Persia withstands, because though the life of the righteous one making supplication already claims the rescue of the People, yet the life of that same People still withstands, that whereas those that had been brought into captivity were not yet completely purified, Persia should rightfully have the dominion over them still. Michael gives aid, but the prince of Greece comes to battle, because that lengthened captivity of the People suffering oppression might indeed have merited pardon, but to the benefit of their liberation that also stood opposed, which they had done wrong against the Greeks. Therefore it is rightly said that the Angels come against each other, because the claims of the nations under them are reciprocally at odds with one another. For the lofty Spirits that are princes to those nations never fight in behalf of those that act unjustly, but justly judge and try their deeds. And when either the guilt or guiltlessness of each separate nation is brought into the debate of the Court Above, the ruling Spirit of that nation is said to have won in the conflict or not to have won; the one identical victory of all of whom, however, is the Supreme Will of their Maker above
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them, which Will whilst they ever have before their eyes, what they have not the power they have not the mind to obtain. Therefore it is well said, Who maketh peace in His high places. It follows; Ver. 3. Is there any number of His soldiers?
[xiii]
18. In the cognizance of human reason there is not any number of the spirits above, in that it cannot tell how great is that concourse of the Invisible Host, whereof it is said by Daniel, Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. [Dan. 7, 10] The number of the citizens above is represented as infinite and definite, in order that that which relatively to God is capable of being numbered may be shewn relatively to man to be incapable of being numbered. Though it is one thing ‘to stand before,’ and another thing to ‘minister to. ’ For those Powers stand before Him without a doubt, which never go forth for the communicating things to men. But those ‘minister to’ Him, who come for discharging the offices of bearers of tidings; yet these same beings also, by the act of contemplation, are not withdrawn from the interior world. And because they are more in number that ‘minister’ than those that preeminently ‘stand before Him,’ the number of those so ‘standing in presence’ is represented as being definite, but of those that ‘minister’ as indefinite.
19. Now the Angelical spirits we rightly call ‘the soldiers’ of God, because we are not unaware that those war against the powers of the air, which same conflicts however they carry on not by labour but by authority; for whatsoever thing, in acting against impure spirits, they desire for, by the aid of Him Who ruleth all things, they are equal to. So of this army when our King was born it is written, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host. [Luke 2, 13] Unto which same heavenly host the number of the Elect of men too is joined, who by the lofty aspirations of the mind are set free from the bondage of an earthly conversation. Concerning whom it is said by Paul, No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. Which same though now they be shewn few in number, yet in the invisible country they reign innumerably many, in that though by comparison with the evil-minded they are few, yet in the concourse of their assemblage they cannot be any way measured. But because the goodness of those soldiers is set firm not by their own powers, but by the inspiration of grace from Above, it is rightly added,
And upon whom doth not His light arise?
[xiv]
20. For ‘the light’ of God is preventing grace, which if it never arose of free gift in our heart, assuredly our mind would remain dim in the darkness of its sins. And hence it is added;
Ver. 4. Can a man be justified being compared with God? or can he be found clean that is born of a woman?
[xv]
21. This verse is spoken above by blessed Job, and is now repeated in the upbraiding of him; since every just man is just by illumination from God, not by comparison with God. For man’s righteousness when compared with the Maker is unrighteousness, since, even although man had held fast in his own estate of creation, the creature could never be equalled to the Creator. To
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which creature howsoever, unto heavier burthens of deficiency, there accrued sin also, which the serpent by plotting brought in, and woman proving frail recommended. Hence now, forasmuch as man is born by the agency of woman who is made subject to sin, the frailty of the first guilt is inherited in the offspring; and because the branch of the human race was made rotten in the root, it does not hold up in the greenness of its creation. Hence it is rightly said now, Can a man be justified being compared with God? or can he be found clean that is born of a woman? As if it were expressed in plain terms, ‘Let not man entertain pride against his Creator, let him reflect whence he came hither, and understand what he is. ’ But observe, there are those that when by the gift of the Spirit they are holpen against the frailty of their flesh, are made to erect themselves, gleam forth in virtues, yea, flash out in the marvels of miraculous signs as well, yet is there no man who may pass through life free from sin, so long as he bears upon him flesh of corruption. Whence it is yet further added;
Ver. 5. Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in His sight. [xvi]
22. What is denoted by ‘the moon’ but the whole Church together? what by ‘the stars’ but the souls of the several persons that live rightly? who amidst the practices of wicked men, whilst they are conspicuous by rare virtues, as it were shine in the darkness of night. Whence likewise it is said by Paul to the disciples; Among whom ye shine like lights in the world. [Phil. 2, 15] For that Holy Church is represented by the designation of ‘the moon,’ the Prophet bears witness, saying, The sun was lifted up, and the moon stood in her order. [Hab. 3, 11] For on ‘the sun being lifted up, the moon is established in her order,’ in that on our Lord ascending into the heavens, Holy Church is thereupon made strong in the authoritative function of preaching. And that by the title of ‘stars’ the Elect are represented, Paul again informs us, by saying, For one star differeth from another star in glory. [1 Cor. 15, 41] So ‘the moon doth not shine, and the stars are not clean in His sight,’ because neither doth Holy Church by her own power shine forth in so many miracles, except the gifts of preventing grace fall in showers upon her, nor are the minds of the several persons that live rightly clean of the stains of sinful practices, if they be judged apart from pity; because in the eyes of the strict Judge every single individual his own proneness to corruption doth pollute, unless the grace of One sparing day by day wipe this away. For the mind of the Elect strives to go forth to the liberty of righteousness, but is still bound and tied with the fetters of frailty, and it longs indeed perfectly to get the better of offences, but so long as it is fettered by the corruption of the flesh, it is tied with the chains thereof, even when it would not be. Hence therefore let him collect with what a load of sins they are borne down, who neglect to war against the same, if not even they entirely get the better of evil doing, who strenuously fight against it. And hence it is said, Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not, and the stars are not pure in His sight; it is directly added;
Ver. 6. How much more is man rottenness, and the son of man a worm?
[xvii]
23. As if it were in plain words; ‘If those very persons also cannot be void of contagion, who amidst the darkness of the present life shine bright by virtuous attainments, with what guilt of wickedness are they bound, who still live after the flesh? If those persons cannot be free from sin, who are already walking in the way of heavenly desires, what they who still lie under the loads of sinful habits?
who whilst they are abandoned to the gratifications of their fleshly part, still bear the
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yoke of rottenness? Hence Peter saith; And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? [1 Pet. 4, 18] Hence it is said by Isaiah, Upon the land of My people shalt come up thorns and briars; how much more upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. [Is. 32, 13] For by ‘the land of His People,’ the Lord meaneth the mind of all of the Elect. Upon which He tells of ‘thorns and briars coming up;’ because He sees that not even that very mind is free from the prickles of bad habits. But ‘the house of joy in the joyous city’ is the mind of the wicked, which whilst it neglects to regard the punishments that are destined to come, in the gratification of the flesh going away from itself, revels in empty mirth. Thus he saith; Upon the land of My people shalt come up thorns and briars, how much more upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. As if He said in plain words; If evil habits sink low even the minds of those, who for desire of the heavenly country put themselves to pain, what guilty courses are they brought under, who without any apprehension abandon themselves in the gratification of the flesh?
24. But it is a point to be noticed in his discourse how Bildad observed the order of our creation and of our birth, in that he calls ‘man’ not ‘a worm,’ but ‘rottenness,’ but ‘the son of man’ ‘a worm. ’ For the first parent of the human race was ‘man,’ not ‘the son of man;’ from whom whosoever came forth, was not only ‘man,’ but ‘the son of man’ as well. As then from man springs the son of man, so from rottenness springs the worm. Whence man is lightly called ‘rottenness,’ but the son of man ‘a worm. ’ For the first man was ‘rottenness’ not ‘a worm,’ in that though by death he turned to ‘rottenness,’ yet he did not come by a birth out of rottenness. But he that is the son of man is called ‘a worm,’ because he is henceforth propagated from the corruption of mortal bodies.
25. Therefore because the words of his friends are concluded, blessed Job sets on with a more penetrating acuteness of the suing, and his words are proportionably strong as they are the last; seeing that even in the same way it is the usage of lawyers, that the argument, by which they beforehand see that they are above their adversaries, they reserve for the conclusion of the suit. It follows;
C. xxvi. 1, 2. But Job answered and said, Of whom art thou the helper? whether of one that is powerless? or dost thou sustain the arm of him that is not strong?
[xviii]
26. To help one that is weak is an act of charity, to wish to help one that is powerful, of Pride; and so because his friends, whilst bearing the likeness of heretics, on the plea of helping God, endeavoured to make a display of their own wisdom, Bildad is justly found fault with, that it should be said, Of whom art thou the helper? whether of one that is powerless? or dost thou sustain the arm of him that is not strong? As if he said in plain words; ‘While thou settest thyself to help Him, under Whose greatness thou dost sink to the earth, all the encouragement which thou affordest comes of ostentation, not of piety. ’
27. But herein it is requisite to be known, that even God, Who surely is not ‘powerless,’ we help whilst acting with humility. And hence it is said by Paul, For we are helper’s of God. [1 Cor. 3, 9] For when to him, whom He doth Himself by interior grace pervade, we by the voice of exhortation contribute, this which He through the Spirit brings to pass within, we outwardly by the office of the voice do assist, and then only is our exhortation brought to completion, when God was in the heart,
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to be aided. Hence He saith elsewhere; So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. [ib. 7] For to ‘plant’ and ‘water’ is to ‘help,’ both which will be but a void ministration, if in the heart God ‘giveth not the increase. ’ But they who have high thoughts of their own power of mind, will not be helpers of God with humility; because whilst they reckon themselves to be of use to God, they are making themselves strangers to the fruit of usefulness. And hence it is said to the disciples by the voice of Truth, When ye shall have done all those things that are commanded you say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do. [Luke 17, 10] It proceeds;
Ver. 3. To whom hast thou given counsel? perchance to him that hath not wisdom?
[xix]
28. To ‘give counsel to one that is foolish’ is an office of charity, to give it to one that is wise, of ostentation; but to give it to Wisdom Itself, of wrongmindedness; and because those who we have said bear the likeness of heretics, by their mode of speech, were administering to ostentation rather than to usefulness, it is yet further added rightly against Bildad,
And shewn thine own prudence overmuch.
To one to whom there is right prudence it is not overmuch, because according to Paul’s declaration, he seeketh not to be wise above the degree that he ought to be wise. But to whomsoever there is overmuch prudence, there is not right prudence. For whilst it is carried beyond due measure, it is made to turn off on one side or another of offence. Now they shew their prudence to be ‘overmuch,’ who aim to appear fuller of prudence in comparison of others; whence it very frequently happens that whilst they have not the art to be wise in moderation, they even speak things that are foolish. On account of which circumstance, the actual excess of prudence is yet further subjoined, that it should be said,
Ver. 4. Whom wouldest thou have taught? Was it not Him Who made the breathway?
[xx]
29. By the ‘breathway’ we live, by prudence we are wise. But it is ours first to live, and afterwards to be imbued with wisdom; because in order that we have the power to be wise, it is first brought to pass that we should have being. He, then, Who bestowed life, the same doubtless gave prudence as well. But because Bildad thought blessed Job was scourged for sin, that secret judgment of God which he should have adored in humility, he set himself with overweening temerity to penetrate to the bottom. And so that very One he preferred himself before in respect of prudence, Whose judgment without understanding it he judged. That very One he preferred himself before in prudence, from Whom he received the breathway of life, as though he were wise more than He, the very Being from Whom he had it given it him that he should be. But because blessed Job whilst bearing a type of Holy Church delivered a few things in the rebuking of proud men, who, he was not ignorant, bore a likeness of heretics, according as he said above; I desire to reason with God; first shewing that ye are forgers of lies, and followers of wrong tenets [Job 13, 3. 4. ]; he suddenly lifts himself up to instruction, and in opposition to the ignorance of the highminded, he opens wide the breadth of his knowledge in sentences, saying,
Ver. 5. Lo, the giants groan under the waters.
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[xxi]
30. For it was fitting that by rebuking he should first beat down the swelling of earthly wisdom, and by instruction afterwards pass on to words replete with mysteries. Thus by ‘giants,’ either apostate Angels, or all proud men may without objection be understood. For hence it is said by the Prophet, The dead shall not live, the giants shall not rise up again. [Is. 26, 14] For whom does he call ‘the dead’ saving sinners, and whom does he designate ‘giants’ save those, who over and above take pride in sin. Now the former do ‘not live,’ because by sinning they have forfeited the life of righteousness; these latter too ‘cannot rise up again’ after death, because, after their transgression being swoln with pride, they do not have recourse to the remedies of penitence. Hence it is written again, The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. [Prov. 21, 16] For whosoever forsakes the way of righteousness, to whose number does he join himself, saving to the number of the proud spirits? Now it is well said in opposition to the high-minded, Lo, the giants groan under the waters. As if it were expressed in plain speech; ‘Wherefore on the score of knowledge should man be proud, when the abyss of ignorance keeps at the bottom the very proudest of the spirits of the Angels? ’
31. But if by the name of ‘the giants’ the powerful ones of this world are denoted, in ‘the waters’ we may have the multitudes represented, as John beareth witness, who saith, The waters, which thou seest, are peoples. [Rev. 17, 15] Now against him that is filled with pride it is well spoken; Lo, the giants groan under the waters; because all that are high and lifted up, while in this life they long to attain the highest pitch of honours, groan under the burthens of peoples. For in proportion as a man is the higher lifted up here, he is burthened with so much the heavier cares. And to those very same people in mind and thoughts he is put under, whom in dignity he is put over. And by these words it is well shewn in brief that all pride lies prostrate on the ground by the mere act by which it lifts itself up on high, so as to be the more effectually bowed down beneath all things from the same cause, that it would fain be set above all. For man when he is lifted up in high stations, bears so many in number over him, as he rules persons put beneath him. But those, that are associated with such persons, are by fellowship in their labour themselves also weighed to the ground. For together with them they likewise bear the toilsomeness of the burthen, whilst along with them they go after the gloriousness of the honour. Hence whereas he said, Lo, the giants groan under the waters; he directly added;
And they that dwell along with them.
[xxii]
32. As though he said; ‘Equally with them do they groan,’ who by taking delight are associated to their glory. Now the very employment of worldly dignities is borne down with readier vices in proportion as it is charged with heavier cares. For would that the mind of man even at rest might be able to see and eschew sins! And so because he saw that the longed for heights of affairs cannot be administered without sins, and because it is not hidden from the wrath of God, whatsoever is committed of an unlawful kind, he fitly subjoined in pursuance;
Ver. 6. Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering. [xxiii]
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33. Which same Paul likewise saith, But all things are naked and opened unto His eyes. [Heb. 4, 13] But by the title of ‘hell’ and ‘perdition’ he denoted the devil and all the associates of his condemnation; but Who that One is before whom ‘hell is naked,’ he goes on with telling;
Ver. 7. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place.
[xxiv] [MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION]
34. By the title of the ‘north,’ in Holy Writ the devil is used to be designated, who with the thought to bind up the hearts of the nations with the iciness of insensibility, said, I will sit also upon the mount of the Covenant, in the sides of the north. [Is. 14, 13] And he is ‘stretched over the empty place,’ because he has possession of those hearts, that are not filled with the grace of the love of God. Yet is it competent to Almighty God, that even those vessels of the devil, empty of every virtue, He may fill with the gift of His grace, and deposit the solid substance of Divine fear in those persons, whom He does not see stablished by any conduct of righteousness. Hence it is fitly added; And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
[xxv]
35. For what is denoted by the title of ‘earth,’ saving Holy Church; who, whilst she receives the words of preaching, renders back the fruit of good works? Whereof it is said by Moses, Let the earth hear the words out of my lips, let my speech be looked for like the rain. [Deut. 32, 1. 2. ] And what but the several gentile peoples are denoted by ‘nothing,’ of whom it is spoken by the Prophet, All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted to Him less than nothing. [Is. 40, 17] In that ‘nothing,’ then, is ‘the earth hung suspended,’ which before, being a void place, was occupied by the ‘north;’ because those hearts of the Gentiles became filled with the love of God, which had been aforetime weighed down by a deadness of the devil. But it may be that both by this ‘empty place,’ the infidelity of Judaea is denoted, and by ‘the earth,’ as we said, the propagation of Holy Church. Thus let the holy man look at the fall of Judaea in her perishing, and espy the privileges of the gentile world brought back to pardon, and let him say, He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. For because the hearts of the Gentiles, being void of faith, were made subject to the devil, ‘He stretched the north over the empty place;’ and because, there being no merits forthcoming, (as it is said, For nothing shalt Thou save them, [Ps. 56, 7. Vulg. ]) upon the Gentiles the Lord founded His Church, which same Gentiles are by the Prophet called ‘nothing,’ in pursuing the subject he rightly adds, And hangeth the earth upon nothing. Now in what order this thing was done, he continues in subjoining with wonderful method. For he saith,
Ver. 8. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, that they should not burst forth alike beneath. [xxvi]
36. For what does he call ‘the waters’ in this place but knowledge; what ‘clouds’ but the Preachers? For that in Holy Writ ‘water’ may sometimes be a term used for knowledge, we have been taught by Solomon bearing witness to it, who says, The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook. [Prov. 18, 4] That, by water knowledge is denoted, the Prophet David bears witness, saying, Dark water in clouds of the sky, [Ps. 18, 11] i. e. secret knowledge in the Prophets, who before the Advent of the Lord, whilst, pregnant with
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secret sacraments, they were bearing in them boundless mysteries, to the eyes of beholders had their meaning obscured. But by the name of ‘clouds,’ what else is denoted in this passage but the holy Preachers, i. e. the Apostles, who being dispatched in every direction through the regions of the world, both knew how to shower in words, and to flash forth [coruscare] in miracles? Whom the Prophet Isaiah beholding long before, said, Who are these that fly as clouds? [Is. 60, 8] Thus because this man, filled with the spirit of prophecy, in this utterance of his voice longs that for the praise of God the rise of Holy Church may commence, he betakes himself to tell the order of her rise from the preaching of the Apostles, who took the greatest pains to preach to uninstructed people what was plain and comprehensible, not what was high and arduous. For holy knowledge, which is here set forth by the title of water, if in the same way that they drew it from the heart, so they poured it forth from the lips, by the immensity thereof they would overwhelm rather than water their hearers. Hence his knowledge being unbound within, that it should not burst forth alike beneath, in nourishing his hearers with the dropping of words, that ‘cloud’ spake, saying, And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat. [1 Cor. 3, 1. 2. ] For who could have borne it if he that was caught up to the third heaven, that was caught into paradise, even hearing unutterable words, which it was not permitted to man to speak, had opened such unbounded depths of celestial knowledge? or what hearer’s power would he not overwhelm, if all that he might have been able to draw within, as far as tongue of flesh may suffice, overflowing without the mighty flood of this water had poured forth?
37. But that uninstructed hearers might be comforted not by an inundation of knowledge, but by the tempered dropping of preaching, God tieth up the waters in the clouds, that they may not burst forth alike beneath. Because He tempers the preaching of the teachers, that so the infirmity of the hearers, being nourished by the dew of the things spoken, may be made strong. Which is well described in the Gospel by a mystical mode of representation, where it is said, Jesus entered into the boat of Peter, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land; and he sat down thus, and taught the people. [Luke 5, 3] By Peter’s ship what else is denoted but the Church committed to Peter? and that the Lord may preach to the crowds flocking together out of this ship, He orders it to be ‘thrust out a little from the land. ’ Which same he neither bids to be carried into the deep, and yet does bid that it be thrust out from the land, signifying, surely, that to uninstructed people His preachers ought not to preach either what is too deep relating to the heavenly world, nor yet what is earthly. And so ‘water is bound up in the clouds,’ because the knowledge of the Preachers, speaking to the minds of the frail, is forbidden to teach as much as it is able to see.
38. Since, for the most part, if the heart of the hearers is spoilt by the vastness of the utterance, the tongue of the persons teaching is mulcted in the damage of indiscretion. Whence it is written; And if a man shall open a cistern, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein, the owner of the pit shall make it good. [Ex. 21, 33. 34. ] For what is it ‘to open a cistern,’ saving with strong understanding to penetrate the mysteries of Holy Writ? And what is understood by an ‘ox’ and an ‘ass,’ viz. a clean and an unclean animal, save every believer and unbeliever? Accordingly, let him that ‘diggeth a cistern cover it, lest an ox or an ass tumble headlong therein,’ i. e. let him, who already makes out deep things in Holy Writ, by silence cover over his lofty perceptions before those that do not reach that compass, lest by a stumbling-block to the soul he kill either the believing little one, or the unbelieving, who might have been led to believe. For upon the death of the beasts of burthen there are damages due, plainly because he is convicted of having
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done that, whereby he is held a debtor for the exercising of penance [a]. Accordingly, ‘the cistern must be covered,’ in that before little minds, deep knowledge requires to be veiled, lest by the same cause that the heart of the teachers is lifted up to the highest things, the infirmity of the hearer fall away to the lowest. Accordingly let it be said with justice, He bindeth up the waters in His clouds, that they should not burst forth alike beneath. For ‘the waters would burst forth alike,’ if, in the presence of weak hearers, the knowledge came forth from the lips of the speaker as great as it is, if all the whole fulness of preaching poured itself out at once, and reserved nought to itself together with those making progress. For it is fitting that he that preaches should have an eye to the measure of him that hears him, so that the preaching itself may grow with his hearers’ stages of growth. For so does it behove every single preacher to do, as it is dealt with himself from heaven; never to tell to the weak all that he has the perception of, because he himself too, so long as by flesh of mortality he is weak, does not perceive all those things that belong to heaven. And therefore he ought not to preach to the ignorant as much as he is acquainted with, because even he himself, touching heavenly mysteries, cannot have his eyes open to see how great they are. For hence it is that Paul the Apostle, after he was admitted to the mysteries of heaven, saith, For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face. [1 Cor. 13, 12] And hence it here follows in continuation;
Ver. 9. He holdeth back the face of His Throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it.
[xxvii] [LITERAL INTERPRETATION]
39. In the face there is wont to be shewn forth acquaintanceship. Thus ‘the face of His Throne is held back,’ in that by us in this life the gloriousness of His kingdom is not perceived, so great as it is had within; ‘upon which the cloud’ is rightly said ‘to be stretched;’ because that glory of the heavenly kingdom is not seen such as it is. For the corruptible body presseth down the soul; and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things. [Wisd. 9, 15] And so against seeing it we are besprinkled with a mist, for we are darkened by the mere cloudiness of our ignorance. Whence it is rightly said by the Psalmist, And darkness was under His feet; and He rode above the Cherubim, and did fly; He did fly above the wings of the wind: He made darkness His secret place. [Ps. 18, 9–11] For there is ‘darkness to Him under His feet,’ in that by those beneath He is not seen in that brightness, wherewith He exercises dominion among those above. For He ‘rode above the Cherubim, and did fly;’ since the ‘Cherubim’ is a term used for the fulness of knowledge. By consequence he is said above the fulness of knowledge to have ‘ridden, and to have flown,’ because the loftiness of His Majesty there is no knowledge doth compass. ‘He did fly,’ because He transported Himself on high, far from the reach of our understanding. ‘He did fly above the wings of the wind,’ because He transcended the knowledge of souls. He made darkness too His secret place, because whereas we are dimmed with the mists of our infirmity, by virtue of our ignorance He is hidden from us, that He should not be seen by us now in eternal and interior Brightness. Hence in the Song of Songs also it is said to Him by the Spouse, Escape, my Beloved, escape. [Cant. 8, 14] ‘It escapes us,’ we say, as often as that does not occur to our minds which we wish to remember. ‘It escapes us,’ we say, when that which we wish we do not retain in our recollection. So Holy Church, after that she sets forth the Death and Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord, cries out to Him, full of the Spirit of Prophecy, Escape, my Beloved, escape. As though she said; ‘Thou That art made by the flesh comprehensible, do Thou by Thy Divine Nature transcend the comprehension of our perception, and in Thine own Self remain to us Incomprehensible.
