meet him, and he said unto him. Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls. For in the actual ministration of the holy spirits, if the superior Powers did not direct the inferior, one Angel would never have learnt from the lij)s of another what he should say to a man. Therefore, ft)rasniuch as the Creator of the Universe holdeth all things by Himself alone, and yet for the purpose of constituting the defined order characterizing a universe of beauty, He rules one part by the governance of another; we shall not improperly understand the kings to be the Angehc spirits, who the more devotedly they serve the Maker of all beings, have things subject to their 2*22 Present and former real of soy Is departed.
Job 3, rule the more. He would then have been ' at rest with kings;' in that, surely, man would have already had peace in company with the Angels, if he had refused to listen to the tongue of the Tempter. These too are rightly called ' counsellors °,' for they ' consult' for the spiritual commonwealth, while they unite us to the kingdom as fellow-heirs with themselves. They are justly called * counsellors;' for, whereas, from their lips we are made acquainted with the will of the Creator, it is in them assuredly that we find counsel to extricate ourselves from the misery that besets us here.
56. But since blessed Job is full of the Holy Spirit of Eternity, and since Eternity knows neither to have been nor to be about to be, whereto, as we know, neither things past depart, nor things future approach, as seeing all things in the present, he may, in the present inspiration of the Spirit, have his eyes fixed on the future preachers of the Church, who, when they leave the body, are separated by no intervals of delay from the inheritance of the heavenly country, as the fathers of old were. For as soon as they are parted asunder from the ties of the flesh, they enter into rest in their heavenly 2 Cor. habitation, as Paul bears witness, who saith. For we know ' that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made ivith hands, eternal in the heavens. But before our Redeemer by His See B. own death paid man's penalty, those even that followed the Jg'" ^' ways of the heavenly country, the bars of hell held fast after their departure out of the flesh, not so that punishment should light on them, but that while resting in regions apart, they should find the guilt of the first sin a bar to their entrance into the kingdom, in that the Intercession of the Mediator was not yet come. Whence, according to the testimony of the same Mediator, the rich man, that is tormented in hell, beholds Lazarus at rest in the bosom of Abraham. Now if these had not been in the lower regions, he, in the place of his torment, would not have seen them; and hence this same Redeemer of us men, in dying to pay the debt of our sin, goes down into hell, that He may bring back to the realms of heaven all His followers, who " lit. consuls. He has Roman ' consuls' in view in this derivation.
Kings In the Church. Anarchy in the soul. 223 had been held in that debt. But where man in a state of TJook I v. redemption now ascendeth, thither, if he had refused to sin, '— he might have reached even mthout the help of the Redemption. Let then the holy man consider that if he had not sinned, he would have ascended to that place, even without redemption, whereunto the holy Preachers, since the Redemption, must fain anive at the cost of much labour, and let him shew in company with whom he would now be at peace, saying. With kings and counsellors of the earth. For the kings are the holy Preachers of the Church, who know both how to order aright those that are committed to them, and to regulate their own bodies; who, while they check the motions of lust in themselves, nde over their thoughts, kept in due subjection according to the law of virtue. These too are rightly entitled, counsellors of the earth. For they are ' kings' in that they rule themselves, but counsellors of the earth, because they yield lifegiving counsel to the lifeless sinner. They are kings in that they know how to govern themselves, and counsellors of the earth, in that they lead earthly minds up to heavenly things by advice of their admonitions. Was not he * a counsellor of the earth,^ that said, Now concerning virgijis 1 have no commandment of^ Coj-.
the Lord, yet I give my judgment; and again, 6?^^ she is ^q, happier if she so abide, after my judgment. It is justly added, Which build desolate places for themselves. 57. For all that either seek forbidden things, or that desire xxx to appear somewhat in this world, are inwardly beset with a countless throng of thoughts, and while they stir up in their own bosom a host of desires, their mind, being laid prostrate, is miserably trodden by the foot of crowded resort. Thus one man has subjected himself to the law of lust, and he ])aints to his mind's eye rej)resentations of impure acts, and when the execution of the deed is not in his power, the thing is the more often done in the inward intent; the consummating of pleasure is sought, and the mind being struck j)owerless, borne hither and thither, disquieted at once and blinded, looks out eagerly for an opportunity of the foulest fulfdmcnt in practice. That mind then, which is disordered by a rabble riot of thoughts, suffers a.s it were a 224 Dominion of the rabble of unrestrained thoughts.
Job 3, kind of crowded population. Another man has submitted -= — '- — his neck to the dominion of Anffer, and what does he employ himself about in imagination but quan'els which do not even exist? Such a man is often overlooking those that are before him, contradicting the absent, giving and receiving insults in imagination, making his reply severer than the insult received, and when there is none there to encounter him, he makes up a quarrel in his own breast with much uproar. He then that is pressed down by an intolerable weight of angry thoughts, has the misfortune of a rabble in his own bosom, Another has delivered himself over to the law of avarice, and, out of conceit with his own possessions, hankers after what belongs to another: it often happens that being unable to obtain what he longs for, he spends the day indeed in idleness, but the night in thought; he is a sluggard in useful work, because he is harassed with unlawful devices; he multiplies his schemes, and stretches his bosom the wider by all the contrivances and expedients of his invention; he is busy to reach the desired objects, and in order to obtain them he casts about for the most secret windings to serve for his occasions, and the moment that he reckons himself to have hit upon any crafty contrivance on an occasion, he is now in high glee as having obtained possession of his object, and now he is contriving what he may even add further to the thing when gotten, and is considering how it ought to be improved to a better condition; and whereas he is now in possession, and is biinging it to wear a better appearance, he is next considering the snares of those that are envious of him, and pondering what dispute they may fasten upon hiip, and making out what answer to give, and at the time he has nothing in his hands, the emptyhanded disputant is wearing himself out in defence of the thing which he desires. Thus although he has not got a particle of the object desired, yet he has already in his breast the fruit of his desire in ihe troublesomeness of the quarrel; and so he, that is overcome by the tumultuous instigations of avarice, has a vast population besetting him. Another one has subjected himself to the empire uf pride, and while he lifts himself up against his fellow-creatures, he submits his heart to the vice, to his great misery. He covets Earthly denires croud us with needless troubles. 2*25 the wreaths of elevated honours, he aims to exalt himself by Book IV.
his successes, and all that he desires to be, he represents to '— himself in the secret thoughts of his own breast. He is already asitseems seated on thejudgment-seat, already sees the services of his subjects at his command, already shines above others, already brings evil upon one party, or recompenses another for having done this. Already in his own imagination he goes forth into public surrounded by throngs, already marks with what observance he is sustained in his high position; yet while fancying this, he is creeping by himself alone. Now he is treading one set under his feet, now he is elevating another, now he is gratifying his dislikes upon those he treads under foot, now he is receiving applause from the other whom he has elevated. What else is that man doing, who has such a multitude of fanciful imaginations pictured in his heart, save gazing at a dream with waking eyes? and thus, since he undergoes the misery of so many combinations of cases, which he pictures to himself, he plainly carries about within him crowds, that are engendered of his desires. Another has by this time learnt to eschew forbidden objects, yet he dreads lest he should lack the good things of this world, he is anxious to retain the goods vouchsafed him; he is ashamed to api)ear inferior among men, and he is full of concern lest he should become either a poor man at home, or an object of contempt in public. He anxiously inquires what may suffice for himself, what the needs of his dependants may require; and that he may sufficiently discharge the rights of a patron towards his dependants, he searches for patrons whom he may himself wait upon; but whiLst he is joined to tliem in a relation of dependence, he is undoubtedly implicated in their concerns, wherein he often consents to forbidden acts, and the wickedness, which he has no mind for on his own account, he commits for the sake of other objects which he has not forsaken. For often, while dreading the diminution of his reputation in the world, he gives his approval to those things with his superiors, which in his own secret judgment he has now learnt to condemn. Whilst he anxiously bethinks himself what he owes to his patrons, what to his dependants, what gain he may make for himself, how he may promote his inclinations, he is in a manner Q 226 Solitude of heart admits God, excludes vanities.
Job 3, overlaid with resort of crowds, as many in number as the — — '■ — demands of the cases whereby he i^ distracted.
58. But holy men, on the other hand, because their hearts are not set upon any thing of this world, are assuredly never subject to the pressvu'e of any tumults in their breast, for they banish all inordinate stirrings of desire from the heart's bed, with the hand of holy deliberation. And because they contemn all transitory things, they do not expeiience the licentious familiarities of the thoughts springing therefrom. For their desires are fixed upon their eternal country alone, and loving none of the things of this world, they enjoy a perfect tranquillity of mind; and hence it is said with justice. Which built desolate places fov themselves. For to ' build desolate places' is to banish from the heart's interior the stirrings of earthly desires, and with a single aim at the eternal inheritance to pant in love of inward peace. Had he not banished from himself all the risings of the imaginations Ps. 27, of the heart, who said. One thing have I desired of the Lord, ^' that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord? For he had betaken himself from the concourse of earthly desires to no less a solitude than his own self, where he would be the more secure in seeing nought without, in proportion as there was no insufficient object that he loved. For from the tumult of earthly things he had sought a singular and perfect retreat in a quiet mind, wherein he would see God the more clearly, in proportion as he saw Him alone with himself also alone.
59. Now they, who ^ build for themselves solitary places,' are very properly also called ' consuls,' for they set up the mind's solitude in themselves in such wise, that whereinsoever they have the greater ability, they never cease to consult for the good of others through charity. Accordingly let us consider a little more particularly the case of him, whom we just now noticed as ' a consul,' and see in what manner he casts abroad the counters'' of the virtues, for the setting forth examples of a sublime life to the lines of people under him. Observe, in order to inculcate the returning good for evil, he makes •» Of the silver coins, or counters, Strenarum Historia. ap. Grsev. Thes. which the consuls were allowed to scatter Ant. Rom. t. xii. p. 430. on New Year's day, see Mart. Lipenii Counsellors may cultivate holy solitude* 227 confession on his own person, saying, If I have returned on Rook them that requited me evil, then should I deserve to fall empty he/ore mine enemies. To excite the love of our ^' ' ^' Maker, he introduces himself saying, But it is good for mePs.73f to draw near to^ God. To work an impression of holy,y humility, he shews the secrets of his heart, saying, Zor^/, cleave mine heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty. He excites pg, 131 us by his own example to imitate his unswerving zeal, saying, ^• Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee, and am?iot Ps.\39, I grieved with them that rise tip against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies. To light up in us the desire of our eternal home, he laments the length of this present life, and says. Woe is me that myVs.iio, sojourn is prolonged. Surely he shone forth in the magni-^' ficence of the consulship, who, by the example of his own conversation, casts before us so many of virtue's counters.
60. But let this counsellor tell whether he too builds a solitary place for himself. For he says, Lo, J fled far off, Ps. 56, and remained in the wilderness. Tie * flecth far off',' in that ' he raises himself from the throng of earthly desires in high contemplation of God; and he ' remains in the wilderness,' in that he persists in the retiring purpose of his mind. Of this solitude Jeremiah saith well to the Lord, I sat alone j^.y^ 15 from the face of Thy hand, because Thou hast filled me with ^"• threatening. For the * face of God's hand,' is the stroke of His righteous judgment, whereby He cast man out of Paradise, when he waxed proud, and shut him out into- the darkness c cgeciof his present place of banishment. lUit ' I lis threatening' is *f ^p"!^ the farther dread of a sub.sequent punishment. Accordingly D.E. after ' the face of His hand,' we are yet further terriiied with * His threats,' because both the penalty of our present!>anishment has already fallen upon us in the actual experience of His judgment, and, if we do not leave off from sinning, He further consigns us to everlasting punishments. Let the holy man then, here cast away, consider whence it was that man fell, and whither the justice of the Judge yet further hurries him, if he goes on to sin afterwards, and let him dismiss from his breast the countless hosts of temp<»ral desires, and bury himself in the deep solitude of the mind, saying, / sat alone from the face qf Thy Hand; for Thou 228 Princes of Holy Church. Gold stands for wisdonu Jobs, hast filled me with threatening. As though he said in plain -jyj^^^ words, ' when J consider what I already suffer in experience of Thy judgment, I seek with trembling the withdrawal of my mind from the tumult of temporal desires; for I dread even still worse those eternal punishments, which Thou dost threaten.' Well then is it said of ' kings and counsellors,' Which built desolate places for themselves. In that they, who know both how to govern themselves, and to advise for others, being unable as yet to obtain admission to that interior tranquillity, fashion a resemblance to it within themselves by pursuit of a quiet mind.
Ver. 15. Or with "princes that have gold, who Jill their houses with silver.
xxxi, 61. Whom does he call princes, hwt the rulers of holy Church, whom the Divine economy substitutes without intermission in the room of their predecessors? Concerning Pf. 45, these the Psalmist, speaking to the same Church, says. Instead of thy fathers thou hast children born to thee, whom thou mayest make princes in all lands. And what does he Prov. call gold, saving wisdom; of which Solomon saith, A treasure ' ' to be desired lieth at rest in the mouth of the wise? That is, he saw wisdom as gold, and therefore called it a treasure: and she is well designated by the name of gold,' for that, as temporal goods are purchased with gold, so are eternal blessings with wisdom. If wisdom had not been gold, it would never have been said by the Angel to the Church ^ of Laodicea, Rev. 3, / counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire. For we ' bay ourselves gold,' when we pay obedience first, to get wisdom in exchange, and it is to this very bargain that a Ecclus. certain wise man rightly stimulates us, in these words. If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee. And what is signified by the ^ houses,' but our consciences? Hence it is said to one that Matt. 9, was healed, Go unto thine house. As though he had heard in plain words, ^ After the outward miracles, turn back into thine own conscience, and weigh well what kind of person within thou shouldest shew thyself before God.' And what too is represented by silver but the divine revelations, of P.s.12,6. which the Psalmist says. The words qf the Lord are pure P All Mss. it seems have ' ab.' It shoulrl be, ' to the Angel of the Church.'
But for sin the Elect only had been born of Adam. 229 words, as silver tried in the Jire Y llie word of the Lord is Book said to be like silver tried in the Jire, because God's word, ^^' when it is fixed in the heart, is tried with afflictions.
0*2. Let the holy man then, full of the Spirit of Eternity, both sum up the things that shall be, and gather together in the open bosom of his mind all those, whom ages long after should give birth to, and consider with wonder and astonishment those Elect souls, with whom he would be enjoying rest in life eternal without the weariness of labour, had none ever been led into sin "by the passion of pride, and let him say, For noiv should I luive lain still and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest with kings and counsellors of the earth, uhich built desolate places /or themselves, or tvith princes that had gold, who Jilted their houses with silver. For as, if no decay of sin had ever ruined our first parent, he would not have begotten of himself children of hell, but they all, who must now be saved by the Redemption, would have been born of him Elect souls, and none else, let him look at these, and reflect how he might have been at rest in their company. Let him see the holy Apostles so ruling the Chmxh they had undertaken, that they never ceased to give it counsel by the word of preaching, and so call them kings and counsellors. After these let him behold rulers arise in their room, who by living according to wisdom should have gold, and by preaching right ways to others should shine with the silver of sacred discourse, and let him call them real princes, the houses of whose conscience are full of gold and silver. But as it is not enough sometimes for the Spirit of Prophecy to foresee future events, unless at the same time it presents to the view of the prophet the past and by-gone, the holy man opens his eyes below and above, and not only fixes them on the future, but also recalls to mind the past. For he forthwith adds, Ver. 1(). Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; CL8 infants which never saw light.
63. An abortive child, because it is bom before the full xxxii. period, being dead is forthwith put out of sight. Whom then does the holy man term ' abortives,' with whom he might* have been at rest,' he reflects, saving all the Elect, who from the beginning of the world livrd before the time of the Redemp- 230 Tlie Patriarchal Saints untimely horn.
Job 3, tion, and yet studied to mortify themselves to this world.
— — '- — Those who had not the tables of the Law, ' died' as it were ' from the womb,' in that it was by the natural law that they fear their Creator, and believing the Mediator would come, they strove to the best of their power, by mortifying their pleasures, to keep even those very precepts, which they had not received in writing. And so that period, which at the beginning of the world produced our fathers dead to this life, was in a certain sense the ' womb of an abortive birth.'
For there we have Abel, of whom we read not that he resisted his brother when he slew him. There Enoch, who approved himself such that he was carried up to walk with the Lord. There Noah, who hereby, that he was acceptable to the searching judgment of God, was, in the world, the world's survivor. There Abraham, who, while a pilgrim in the world, became ihe friend of God. There Isaac, who, by reason of his fleshly eyes waxing dim, by his age had no sight of things present, but by the efficacy of the prophetic Spirit lighted up future ages even with his extraordinary luminousness of sight. There Jacob, who in humility fled his brother's indignation, and by kindness overcame the same; who was fruitful indeed in his offspring, but yet being more fruitful in richness of the Spirit, bound that offspring with the chains of prophecy. And this untimely birth is well described as hidden, in that from the beginning of the world, while there are some few, whom we are informed of by Moses' mention of them, by far the largest portion of mankind is hidden from our sight. For we are not to imagine that during all the period up to the receiving of the Law, only just so many righteous men came forth, as Moses has run through in the most summar}^ notice. And thus, forasmuch as the multitude of the righteous born fi'om the beginning of the world is in great measure withdrawn from our knowledge, this untimely birth is called hidden. And it is also said, not to have been, because a few only being enumerated, the generality of them are not preserved among us by any written record for their memorial.
64. Now it is rightly added; As infants which, never saw tight. For they, who came into this world after the Law was received, were conceived to their Creator, by the instruction The only Blessedness is in Eternal BEING. 231 of the same Law; yet, though conceived, they never saw light, Book in that these never could attain to the coming of the Lord's '— Incarnation, which yet they stedfastly believed; for the Lord Incarnate saith, I am the Light of the world; and that ver^' JohnS, Light declareth, Mauy Prophets and righteous men have ^^'^^^ desired to see those things ivhich ye see, and have not seen 13, i". them. Therefore the fruit ' conceived never saw light,' in that, although quickened to entertain the hope of a future Mediator by the plain declarations of the Prophets, they were never able to behold His Incarnation. In all these then the inward conception brought forth a form of faith, but never earned this on so far as to the open vision of God's Presence; for that death intervening hurried them from the world before Truth made manifest had shed light thereon.
65. Thus the holy man then, full of the Spirit of Eternity, fixes to his memory by the hand of the heart all that is transient; and because every creature is little in regard to the Creator, by the same Spirit, Which hath nought either in Itself or about Itself saving always to be, he views both what shall be, and what hath been, and directs the eye of his mind both below and above, and regarding things that are comin^^ as past, he bums in the core of his heart toward eternal Being, and says. For now 1 should have lain still and been quiet. For ' now' belongs to the present time, and what else is it for one to seek a rest always placed in the present, but to pant after that bliss of eternity, whereunto there is nought in coming or in going? Which always Being The Truth, by the lips of Moses, shews to be His own attribute, so as to communicate it to us in some degree in the words, / AM THAT I AM, and Exod.3, He said. Thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel, ^^' ^ HE THAT IS hath sent me unto you; and now, that hc'V.QUI is contemplating things transient, and seeking an ever present bliss, and making mention of the light to come, and enumerating and considering the orders of the Elect children thereof, let him now shew us in a litlle plainer terms the rest itself that appertains to this light, and let him shew in plainer words, what is brought to pass tliercin every day relating to the life and conduct of the wicked. It proceeds; 23'2 The wicked, tvhen changed, cease from disquietude.
Jobs, Ver. 17. There the wicked cease from disturbance, and there the weary in strength he at rest.
xxxiii. ""• ^^^ have already said above, that herein, viz. that the hearts of sinners are possessed with a tumult of desires, they are grievously oppressed by a host of goading thoughts, but in this light, which the ^ infants conceived' never saw, the wicked are said to * cease from their disquietude' for this reason, that the coming of the Mediator, which the fathers under the Law had long waited for, the Gentiles found to the Eom.ii, peace of their life, as Paul testifies, who saith, Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, bat the election hath obtained it. In this light then ' the wicked cease from disquietude,' inasmuch as the minds of the untoward, when they have come to the knowledge of the truth, eschew the wearisome desires of the world, and find rest in the quiet haven of interior love. Does not the Light Itself call us to Mat. 11, this rest when It says, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and ' are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; Take My yoke upon you and, leatm of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls; For My yoke is easy, and My burthen is light. For what heavy yoke does He put upon our mind's neck. Who bids us shun every desire that causes disquietude? What heavy burthen does He lay upon His followers. Who warns us to decline the wearisome ways of the world? Now, by the testimony of the Rom. 5, Apostle Paul, Christ died for the ungodly; and it was for ^' this reason that the Light Itself condescended to die for the ungodly, that these might not continue in the disorderment of their state of darkness. So let the holy man consider with himself, that by the mystery of the Incarnation ' the Light' rescues the wicked fi'om heavy toil, while It takes clean away all the aims of wickedness from their hearts; let him reflect how every converted person has already here below a taste, by inward tranquillity, of that rest which he desires to have throughout eternity, and let him say. There the wicked cease from disturbance, and the weary in strength are at rest.
67. For all they that are strong in this world are by their might in one way strong, not wearied out in strength; but they that arc endued with might in the love of their Maker, the Strong Heavenly affections weaken those of earth. 233 more they be strengthened in the love of God, which is their bqok object of desire, become in the same degree powerless in ^^-their own strength, and the stronger their longing for the things of eternity, the more they are wearied as to earthly objects by a wholesome failure of their strength. Hence the Psalmist, being wearied with the strength of his love, said. My soul hath fainted in^ Thy salvation. For his soul didpg ug^ faint while making way in God's salvation, in that he panted ^iwith desire of the light of eternity, broken of all confidence ward in the flesh. Hence he says again, My soul longeth, yea,^^J^^^ even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. Now when he said 2. * longeth,' he added rightly, and ' fainteth,' since that longing for the Divine Being is little indeed, which is not likewise immediately followed by a fainting in one's self. For it is but meet that he who is inflamed to seek the courts of eternity, should be enfeebled in the love of this temporal state. So that he should be cold to the pursuit of this world, in proportion as he rises with soul more inflamed to the love of God.
Which love if he completely giasps, he then at the same time completely quits the world, and the more entirely dies to temporal things, the higher he is made to soar after the life to come by the inspirations of Eternity. Had not that soul found itself wearied in its own strength, which exclaimed, My soul ^u:as melted nhcn he spake? clearly ^^^^j -in that while the soul is touched by the inspirations of the ^-secret communication, weakened in the seat of its owu strength, it is * melted' by the desire wherewith it is swallowed up, and finds itself wearied in itself by the same step whereby it is brought to see that there is a might without itself to which it soars. Hence when the Prophet was telhng tliat he had seen a vision of God, he adds. And /, Danieljainttdand q^^ g was sick certain days; for when the soul is held fast to the 27. power of God, the flesh waxes faint in res])ect of its own strength. Thus Jacob, who held an Angel in Iiis hold, immediately afterwards halted upon one foot; for he that regards things on high with a genuine love, already forswears to walk in this world with a doubleminded affection. For he rests upon one foot, who is strong in tlie love of God alone; and it nnist needs be that the other should wither, for wlien the virtue of the s(»ul gains increase, it behoves