24. And so it often happens, that in what we do with a good aim, by not exercising careful discrimination therein, we know nothing what end it will be judged withaP, and\quojusometinies that becomes ground of accusation, which is fine accounted an occasion of virtue. But whoever considers the doings of blessed Job's friends, cannot but see with what a pious intention they came to him. For let us consider, what great love it shewed to have come together by agreement to the stricken man; what a preeminent degree of longsuffering it proved to be with the afflicted, without speaking, seven days and nights; what humility, to sit upon the earth so many days and nights; what compassion, to sprinkle their heads with dust! But yet when they began to speak, by the same means, whereby they reckoned to win the price of a reward, it was their lot to meet with the arraignment of rebuke; for to the unwary even that which is begun for the object of recompense alone, oftentimes turns to an issue in sin. Observe! by hasty speech they lost that good which it cost them so much labour to purchase. And unless the grace of God had bidden them to offer sacrifice for their I 146 Ood judges good works, much more evil ones.
Job 2, guilt, they might have been justl}' punished by the Lord, on the very grounds whereon they reckoned themselves exceed- Hist.
ing well-pleasing to Him. By the same proceeding they displease the Judge, whereby, as if in that Judge's defence, they please themselves through want of self-control. Now it is for this reason that we speak thus, that we may recall to the recollection of our readers, for each one to consider heedfully with himself, with what dread visitations the Lord punishes the actions which are done with an evil design, if those which are begun with a good aim, but mixed with the heedlessness of indiscretion, are chastised with such severe rebuke. For who would not believe that he had secured himself ground of recompense, either if in God's defence he had said aught against his neighbour, or at all events if in sorrow for a neighbour he had kept silence seven days and nights? And yet the friends of blessed Job by doing this were brought into sin for their pains, because while the good aim of comforting which they were about was known to them, yet they did not know with what a balance of discretion it was to be done. Whence it appears that we must not only regard what it is that we do, but also with what discretion we put it in execution. First indeed, that we may never do evil in any manner, and next, that we may not do our good deeds without caution; and it is in fact to perform these good deeds with carefulness, that the Prophet admonishes Jer. 48, us when he says, Cursed be he that doeth the work of the y^i Lord negligently. But let these things stand us in stead to this end, that before the exact and incomprehensible scrutiny of the Awful Judge shall be, w^e may not only fear for all that we have done amiss, but if there be in us aught of the kind, for the very things that we have done well; for oftentimes that is found out to be sin at His Judgment, which before the Judgment passes for virtue, and from the same source, whence we look for the merciful recompense of our works, there comes upon us the chastisement of righteous vengeance.
Alleg. 25. We have run through these particulars thus briefly considered according to the letter of the history, now let us turn our discourse to the mystical sense of the allegory. But as, when, at the beginning of this work, we were Sufferings of the Body typified with those qf the Head. 147 treating of the union betwixt the Head and the Body, we Book TTT premised with earnest emphasis how close the bond of love was between them, forasmuch as both the Lord in fact still suffers many things by His Body, which is all of us, and His Body, i. e. the Church, already glories in its Head, viz. the Lord, in heaven; so now we ought in such sort to set forth the sufferings of that Head, that it may be made appear how much He undergoes in His Body also. For if the torments that we endure did not reach our Head, He would never cry out to His persecutor even from heaven in behalf of His afflicted Members, Haul^ Saul^ why persecutest thou Me '^ Acta 9, If our agony were not His pain, Paul, when afflicted after ^* his conversion, would never have said, I Jill up that which^^^- 1> is behitid q/' the ajfiictions of Christ in my Jiesh. And yet being already elevated by the resurrection of his Head, he says. And hath raised us up together, and made us svVEph. 2, together in heavenly places; in this way, namely, that the ' tonnents of persecution had enchained him on earth, yet while sunk down with the weight of his pains, lo, he was already seated in heaven, through the glory of his Head.
Therefore because we know that in all things the Head and the Body are one, we in such wise begin with the smiting of the Head that we may afterwards come to the strokes of the Body. But this, viz. that it is said, " that on a day Satan came to present himself before tlie Lord;" that he is interrogated * whence he comes V that the blessed Job is distinguished by his Creator's high proclaim; forasmuch as we have already made it out more than once, we forbear to explain again. For if the mind is a long time involved in points that have been examined, it is hindered in coming to those which have not been, and so we now put the beginning of the allegory there, where, after often repeated words, we find something new added. So then He says, Ver. 3. Though thou moredst Me agai)ist him, to destroy him without cause.
26. If blessed Job bears the likeness of our Redeemer in xiv. His Passion, how is it that the Lord says to Satan, Thmc ftiovedst Me against him? Truly the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, came to bear the scourges of our mortal nature, that He might put away the l2 148 The Father how ^ movecV agai/tst Christ'' without cause »^ Job 2, sins of our disobedience; but forasmuch as He is of one and ' — the self-same nature with the Father, how does the Father * declare that He was moved by Satan against Him, when it is acknowledged that no inequality of power, no diversity of will, interrupts the harmony between the Father and the Son?
Yet He, that is equal to the Father by the Divine Nature, came for our sakes to be under stripes in a fleshly nature.
Which stripes He would never have undergone, if he had not taken the form of accursed man in the work of their redemption. And unless the first man had transgressed, the I second would never have come to the ignominies of the f Passion. When then the first man was moved by Satan from ' com- the Lord, then the Lord was moved' against the second Man.
motus ^Yi^ so Satan then moved the Lord to the affliction of this latter, when the sin of disobedience brought down the first man from the height of uprightness. For if he had not drawn the first Adam by wilful sin into the death of the soul, '- the second Adam, being without sin, would never have come into the voluntary death of the flesh, and therefore it is with justice said to him of our Redeemer too. Thou movedst Me 2 E. V. against him to afflict- him without cause. As though it were destroy g^j^ '^^ plainer words; ' Whereas this Man dies not on His own account, but on account of that other, thou didst then move Me to the afflicting of This one, when thou didst withdraw that other from Me by thy cunning persuasions.' And of Him it is rightly added, without cause. For ' he was destroyed without cause,"* who was at once weighed to the earth by the avenging of sin, and not defiled by the pollution of sin.
He ^ was destroyed without cause,' Who, being made incarnate, had no sins of His own, and yet being without offence took upon Himself the punishment of the carnal. For it is hence Pa. 69, that speaking by the Prophet He says, Then I restored that *' which I took not away. For that other that was created for Paradise would in his pride have usurped the semblance of the Divine power, yet the Mediator, Who was without guilt, discharged the guilt of that pride. It is hence that a Wise "Wisd. Man saith to the Father; Forasmuch then as Thou art Vulg. righteous Thyself, Thou order est all things righteously; Thou condemnest Him too that deserveth not to be punished, 27. But we must consider how He is righteous and ordereth God Just ill affllcliny Christ. Satan misjudtjed Hitn. J 4!) all things righteously, if He condemns Him that deserveth Book • TTT not to be punished. For our Mediator deserved not to be '— punished for Himself, because He never was guilty of any defilement of sin. But if He had not Himself undertaken a death not due to Him, He would never have freed us from one that was justly due to us. And so whereas * The Father is righteous,' in punishing a righteous man, ' He ordereth all things righteously,' in that by these means He justifies all things, viz. that for the sake of sinners He condemns Him Who is without sin; that all the Elect' might rise up to the height i electa of righteousness, in proportion as He Who is above all°"^°'* underwent the penalties of our unrighteousness. What then is in that place called ' being condemned without deserving,' is here spoken of as being ^ afilicted without cause.' Yet though in respect of Himself He was ' afilicted without cause,' in respect of our deeds it was not ' without cause.' For the rust of sin could not be cleared away, but by the fire of torment. He then came without sin. Who should submit Himself voluntarily to torment, that the chastisements due to our wickedness might justly loose the parties thereto obnoxious, in that they had unjustly kept Him, Who was free of them. Thus it was both without cause, and not without cause, that He was afflicted, Who had indeed no crimes in Himself, but Who cleansed with His blood the stain of our guilt.
Ver. 4, 5. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin; yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.
28. When the evil spirit sees our Redeemer shine forth by xv. miracles, he cries out, We know Who Thou art, the Holy Luke 4, One of God. And in saying this, he dreads, whilst he owns,^^* the Son of God. Yet being a stranger to the power of heavenly pity, there are seasons when, beholding Him subject to suffering, he supposes Him to be mere man. Now he had learnt that there were many in the pastoral station, cloked under the guise of sanctity, who, being very far removed from the bowels of charity, held for very little other men's ills. And thus as though judging of Him by other men, because after much had been taken from Him, he did 150 Satan how let loose against the Flesh of our Lord, Job 2, not see him subdued, he so flamed against Him even to ■j^ — His very flesh, in applying the touch of suff^ering, as to say, Skin for skin; yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he ivill curse Thee to Thy face. As though he said in plain terms, ' He does not care to be moved by the things that are without Him, but it will then be really known what He is, if He shall experience in Himself what may make Him grieve.' This Satan expressed in his own person not by words, but by wishes, when he desired to have it brought to pass; in his members he brought it on both by words and wishes at once. For it is himself that speaks, when, according to the words of the Prophet, his followers Jer. 11, say. Let its pict the wood in his bread^, and let us raze him l^' out from the land of the living. For ' to put the wood into the bread,' is to apply the trunk of the cross to His body in affixing Him thereto; and they think themselves able to * raze out' His life from the land of the living. Whom vv^hile they perceive Him to be mortal mould, they imagine to be put an end to by death.
Ver. 6. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. xvi. 29. What fool even would believe that the Creator of all things w^as given up into * the hands of Satan?' Yet who that is instructed by the Truth can be ignorant that of that very Satan all they are members who are joined unto him by living frowardly? Thus Pilate shewed himself a member of him, who, even to the extremity of putting Him to death, knew not the Lord when He came for our Redemption. The chief priests proved themselves to be his body, who strove to drive the world's Redeemer from the world, by persecuting Him even to the cross. When then the Lord for our salvation gave Himself up to the hands of Satan's members, what else did He, but let loose that Satan's hand to rage against Himself, that by the veiy act whereby He Himself outwardly fell low, He might set us free both outwardly and inwardly. If therefore the hand of Satan is taken for his power, He after the flesh bore the hand of him, whose power over the body He endured even to the spitting, the buffetting, the '' E. V. Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof.
Our Lord permitted as God ivhat He bore as Ma?i. 151 stripes, the cross, the lance; and hence when He cometh to Book His Passion He saith to Pilate, i. e. to the body of Satan, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me except itu, * were given thee from above; and yet this power, which He had given to him against Himself without, He compelled to serve the end of His own interest within. For Pilate, or Satan who was that Pilate's head, was held under the power of that One over Whom he had received power; in that being far above He had Himself ordained that which now condescending to an inferior condition He was undergoing from the persecutor, that though it ai*ose from the evil mind of unbelievers, yet that very cruelty itself might also serve to the weal of all the Elect, and therefore He pitifully ordained all that within, which He suffered Himself to undergo thus foully without. And it is hence that it is said of Him at the supper, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all thitigs Johni3, into His hands, and that He ivas come from God, and went^' to God: He risethfrom supper, and laid aside His garments. Behold how, when He was about to come into the hands of those that persecuted Him, He knew that those very persecutors even had been given into His own hand. For He, Who knew that He had received all things, plainly held those very persons by whom He was held, that He should Himself inflict on Himself, for the purposes of mercy, whatsoever their permitted wickedness should cruelly devise against Him.
Let it then be said to him, Behold, he is in thine hand, in that when ravening thereafter he received penuission to smite His flesh, yet unwittingly he rendered service to the Power of that Being.
30. Now he is ordered to * save the life of the soul",' not that he is forbidden to tempt it, but that he is convicted of being unable to overcome it. For never, as we that are mere men are oftentimes shaken by the assault of temptation, was the soul of your Redeemer disordered by its urgency. For though our enemy, being pennilted, took Him up into an high mountain, though he promised that he would give Him the kingdoms of the earth, and though he shewed Him • The word is * anima,' which sig- tained in us: * the life of the soul' may nifiea the soul a^i well as that union serve to include both those senses. with the body, by which life is main- 152 Satan forced to spare Christ'' s Elect, as JoVs life.
Job 2, stones as to be turned into bread, yet he had no power to 7.
Alleg shake by temptation the mind of the Mediator betwixt God and man. For He so condescended to take all this upon Himself externally, that His mind, being still inwardly established in His Divine Nature, should remain unshaken. John 11, And if He is at any time said to be troubled and to have 38' groaned i?i the spirit^ He did Himself in His Divine nature ordain how much He should in His Human nature be troubled, unchangeably ruling over all things, yet shewing Himself subject to change in the satisfying of human frailty; and thus remaining at rest in Himself, He ordained whatsoever He did even with a troubled spirit for the setting forth of that human nature which He had taken upon Himself.
31. But as, when we love aright, there is nothing among created things that we love better than the life of our soul, and like as we say that we love those as our soul toward whom we strive to express the weight of our love, it may be 1 per that by the life of His SouP, is represented the life^ of the aniraam Elect. And while Satan is let loose to smite the Redeemer's « vita flesh, he is debarred the soul, forasmuch as at the same time that he obtains His Body to inflict upon it the Passion, he loses the Elect from the claims of his power. And while That One's flesh suffers death by the Cross, the mind of these is stablished against assaults. Let it then be said. Behold, he is in thine hand; hut sat^ his life. As if he had heard in plain words, * Take permission against His Body, and lose thy right of wicked dominion over His Elect, whom foreknovdng in Himself before the w^orld began He hcldeth for His own.'
Ver. 7. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Joh ivith sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown. xvii..32. No one entereth into this life of the Elect, that has not undergone the contradictions of this enemy. And they all have proved themselves the members of our Redeemer, who, from the first beginning of the w-orld, whilst living righteously, have suffered wrongs. Did not Abel prove himself His member, who not only in propitiating God by his sacrifice, but also by dying without a word, was a figure Christ cleanses away sin by Fleshy as with Job's potsherd. 153 of Him, of whom it is written, He is brought as a lamb to Book the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, -Ull^ so He openeth not His mouth. Thus from tlie very begin- 7/ ' ning of the world he strove to vanquish the Body of our Redeemer; and thus He inflicted wounds ' from the sole of the foot to His crown,' in that beginning with mere ^ men, he came to the very Head of the Church in his raging efforts. And it is well said; Ver. 8. And he took him a potsherd to scrape the humour tcithal.
33. For what is the potsherd in the hand of the Lord, but xviii. the flesli which He took of the clay of our nature? For the potsherd receives firmness by fire. And the Flesh of our Lord was rendered stronger by His Passion, in so far as dying by infirmity, He arose from death void of infirmity. And hence too it is ri^^htly delivered by the Prophet, My Ps. 22, strength is dried up like a potsherd. For His ' strength ^^' was dried up like a potsherd,' Who strengthened the infirmity of the flesh which He took upon Him by the fire of His Passion. But what is to be understood b}^ humour ^ ^ saniem saving sin? For it is the custom to denote the sins of the flesh by flesh and blood. And hence it is said by the Psalmist, Deliver me from blood. Humour then is theps. 51, corruption of the blood. And so what do we understand by ^^' humour but the sins of the flesh, rendered worse by length of time } Thus the wound turns to humour when sin, being neglected % is aggravated by habit. And so the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, in giving up His Body into the hands of those that persecuted Him, scraped the humour with a potsherd, forasmuch as He put away sin by the flesh; for He came, as it is \^Titten, in theK.nm.8y likeness of sinful Jlexh^ that He might condemn sin of sin.^^ ^^' And whilst He presented the purity of His own Flesh to the enemy, He cleansed away the defilements of ours. And by means of that flesh whereby the enemy held us captive, He made atonement for us whom He set free. For that which <• ' Puris,' which St. Gr. u'^es iu this • The Translator suggests neglecta nense. Some Mks. read ' Primis,' *■ the for neglect&, which seems better, first men.'
154 Christ rents on the dunghill by coming to the Penitent.
Job 3, was made an instrument of sin by us, was by our Mediator - — '- — converted for us into the instrument^ of righteousness. And so ' the humour is scraped with a potsherd/ when sin is overcome by the flesh. It is rightly subjoined; And he sat down upon a dunghill.
xix. 34. Not in the court in which the law resounds, not in the building which lifts its top on high, but on a dunghill he takes his seat, which is because the Redeemer of man on 1 Cor. coming to take the flesh, as Paul testifies, hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mightg. Does not He, as it were, sit down upon a dunghill, the buildings being ruined. Who, the Jews in their pride being left desolate, rests in that Gentile world, which He had for so long time rejected? He is found outside the dwelling all in His sores, Who herein, that He bore with Judaea, which set itself against Him, suffered the pain of His Passion amid the scorn of John I, His own people; as John bears witness, who says, He came unto His own, but His own received Him not. And how He rests Himself upon a dunghill, let this same Truth say Luke for Himself; for He declares. Likewise I say unto you, and Vo ^^*^^^ ^'^ j^y ^^ ^^^^ presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. See, He sits upon a dunghill in grief. Who, after sins have been committed, is willing to take possession of penitent hearts. Are not the hearts of penitent sinners like a kind of dunghill, in that while they review their misdoings with bewailing, they are, as it were, heaping dung before their eyes in abusing themselves? So when Job was smitten he did not seek a mountain, but sat down upon a dunghill, in that when our Redeemer came to His Passion, He left the high minds of the proud, and rested in the lowliness of the heavy laden. And this, while yet before His Incarnation, He indicated, Is. 66,2. when He said by the Prophet, But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.
35. But who can think what numberless outrages He underwent at the hands of men, Who shewed to men such ^ anna J Gr. either anus or instruments.
Job'a Wife a type of the Carnal in the Church, 155 unnumbered mercies? Who can think how ereat those are Book III which He even yet undergoes, yea now that He reigns from - above over the hearts of the faithful? For it is He that endures daily all wherein His Elect are racked and rent by the hands of the reprobate. And though the Head of this Body, which same are we, already lifts itself free above all things, yet He still feels in His Body, which He keeps here below, the wounds dealt it by reprobate sinners. But why do we speak thus of unbelievers, when within the very Church itself we see multitudes of carnal men, who fight against the life of our Redeemer by their wicked ways. For there are some, who set upon Him with evil deeds, because they cannot with swords, forasmuch as when they see that what they go after is lacking to them in the Church, they become enemies to the just, and not only settle themselves into wicked practices, but are also busy to bend the uprightness of good men to a crooked "course. For they neglect to lift their eyes to the things of eternity, and in littleness of mind they yield themselves up to the lust of temporal things, and they fall the deeper from eternal blessings, in proportion as they look upon temporal blessings as the only ones. The simplicity of the righteous is displeasing to these, and when they find opportunity for disturbing them, ihey press them to lay hold of their own duplicity. Hence also this is in just accordance, which is added, Ver. 9. Tlien said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.
36. For of what did that mispersuading woman bear the xx. likeness, but of all the carnal that are settled in the bosom of Holy Church, who in proportion as by the words of the Faith they profess they are within the pale, press harder on all the good by their ill-regulated conduct. For they would perchance have done less mischief, if Holy Church had not admitted in and welcomed to the bed of faith those, whom, by receiving in a profession of faith, she doubtless puts it almost out of her power to eschew. It is hence that in the press of the crowd one woman touched our Redeemer, whereupon tlie same our Redeemer at once saith. Mho touched Me? And when the disciples answered Him, The multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Ji'ho touched 1 56 The carnalpressy but touch nol Christ* Motivesfor ill advice.
Job 2, Me? He therefore subjoined, Somebody hath touched Me, - — '■ — /or I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.
37. Thus many press the Lord, but one alone touches Him; in that all carnal men in the Church press Him, from Whom they are far removed, while they alone touch Him, who are really united to Him in humility. Therefore the crowd presses Him, in that the multitude of the carnally minded, as it is within the pale, so is it the more hardly borne with. It ' presses,' but it does not ' touch,' in that it is at once troublesome by its presence, and absent by its way of life. For sometimes they pursue us with bad discourse, and sometimes with evil practices alone, for so at one time they persuade to what they practise, and at another, though they use no persuasions, yet they cease not to afford examples of wickedness. They, then, that entice us to do evil either by word or by example, are surely our persecutors, to whom we owe the conflicts of temptation, which we have to conquer at least in the heart.
38. But we should know that carnal men in the Church set themselves to prompt wickedness at one time from a principle of fear, and at another of audacity, and when they themselves go wrong either from littleness of mind or pride of heart, they study to infuse these qualities, as if out of love, into the hearts of the righteous. So Peter, before the Death and Resurrection of our Lord, retained a carnal mind. It was with a carnal mind that the son of Zeruiah held to his leader David, whom he was joined to. Yet the one was led into sin by fear, the other by pride. For the first, when Matt, he heard of his Master's Death, said. Be it far from Thee, ' ' Lord; this shall not he unto Thee. But the latter, not en-2 Sam. during the wrongs offered to his leader, says. Shall not ' * Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's Matt, anointed '^ But to the first it is immediately replied. Get ' ' thee behind Me, Satan. And the other with his brother 2 Sam. immediately heard the words; What have I to do with you, ' ' ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye are this day turned into a 'So Satan^ unto me? So that evil prompters are taken for E. V. apostate angels in express designation, who, as if in lore, Adver- j^.^^^, ^^^^^^^ ^^ unlawful deeds by their enticing words. But they are much the worse, who give into this sin not from The Elect resist foes by patience^ sustain friends by counsel. 1 57 fear but I'lom pride, of whom the wife of blessed Job bore ''^'<^k the figure in a special uiaiiner, in that she sought to prompt high thoughts to her husband, saying. Dost thou still retain thine i)ite(jrHy? Curse Cod, ana die. She blames the simplicity in her husband, that in contempt of all things transitory, with a pure heart, he longs after the eternal only. As though she said, ' Why dost thou in thy simplicity seek after the things of eternity, and in resignation groan under the weight of present ills? Transgress ', and contemn > Exceeternity, and even by dying escape from present woes.' But when any of the Elect encounter evil within coming from carnal men, what a modeP of uprightness they exhibit- foiin themselves, let us learn from the words of him, wounded" and yet whole, seated yet erect, who says, Ver. 10. 77/0// speakest as one of the foolish icomen spcaketh. What? shall we receive yood at the hand qf the Lord, and shall ue not receive evil?
39. Holy men, when fastened upon by the war of afflic- xxi. tions, when at one and the same moment they are exposed to this party dealing them blows and to that urging persuasions, present to the one sort the shield of patience, at the other they launch the darts of instruction, and lift themselves up to either mode of warfare with a wonderful skill in virtue, so that they should at the same time both instruct with wisdom the froward counsels within, and contemn with courage the adverse events without; that by their instructions they may amend the one sort, and by their endurance put down the other. For the assailing foes they contemn by bearing them, and the crippled citizens they recover to a state of soundness, by sympathizing with them. Those they resist, that they may not draw off others also; they alann themselves for these, lest they should wholly lose tlie life of righteousness.
40. Let us view the soldier of God's camp fighting against either sort. He says. Without were Jiyhtinys, within were 2 Cot.
fears. He reckons up the wars, which he under\\'ent ex- "» ^* ternally, in these words, In perils of waters^ in perils of 2 Cor. robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by ///e^''^*' heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils amonj false brethren. Now in this war, what were those darts which he sent against 158 St. Paul, himself' suffering, careful for others. Job 2, the foe, let him add, In weariness and paitifulness, in watch- . ' — ings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold