472 Hypocrites lose lasting rewards for transitory.
Job 8, Which same grass even when not plucked up soon withereth, for this reason, that the hypocrite at one and the same time still exists m the present life, and yet already parts with the practices of holiness as with the appearance of gi'eenness. For because he went about to do good works without the purpose of a right heart, by losing these he shews that he flourished without a root.
69. But as we have before said, who he is to whom Bildad likens * a rush' or ' a flag,' he makes plain at the moment, ver 13. where he adds, So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrite'' s hope shall 2ycrish. For what does the hypocrite hojoe for from all his deeds, saving the observance of honour, the reputation of applause, to be feared by his betters, to be called a Saint by all men.^ But the hope of the hypocrite can never endure, for, from not making eternity his aim, he hastes away from all that he holds in his hand. For the bent of his mind is not fixed in that glory which is possessed without end; but while he gapes after transient applause, he loses in the getting the thing that he toils for.
Matt, 6, as ' Truth' testifieth, Who saith. Verily I say unto you, ^' they have had their reward. Now this hope of being vouchsafed a reward cannot be maintained for long, seeing that honour is bestowed for the works exhibited, but life is pressing on to its close; praises are reechoed, but then along with them the periods of time are speeding to an end. And because the soul is in no wise rooted in the love of the eternal world, it slips away together with the very objects that it is centered in. For no one can attach himself to the moveable, and remain himself unmoved. For he that embraces transitory things is drawn into transition by the mere circumstance, that he is entangled with things running out their course. Therefore let him say, A^id the hypocrite's hope shall perish. For the applause of man, which he seeks with mighty pains, being driven on by the items of time, does run to nought. And it is well added, Ver. 14. His own folly shall not satisfy him. xliii. 70. For it is infinite folly to labour painfully, and pant after the breath of applause, to apply one's self to the heavenly precepts with hard toil, but to aim at the reward of an earthly kind of recompense. For that I may so express myself, he that in return for the good that he practises looks Their had bargain f and waste of rich fruit. 473 for the applause of his fellowcreatures, is carrying an article Book of great worth to be sold at a mean price. From that - whereby he might have earned the kingdom of heaven, he seeks the coin of passing talk. His practice goes for little, in that he spends a great deal, and gets back but very little. Whereunto then are hypocrites like but to luxuriant and untended vines, which put forth fruit from their fertility, but are never lifted from the earth by tending? All that the rich branches bud forth, stray beasts tread under foot, and the more fruitful they see it is, the more greedily they devour it, thus cast away and laid low, in that the works of hypocrites while they shew fair, come forth as if rich, but whilst they aim at human praises, it is as if they were left forsaken upon the ground. And the beasts of this world, i. e. the evil spirits, devour them, because they turn them to account to the end of perdition, and they seize upon them with greater avidity, in proportion as great things are more clearly known. Hence it is well said by the Prophet, The standing stalk, there is no hud in them, aiid YLos. 8, they shall yield no meal; if so he it yield, the strangers " ^' shall swallow it up. For the stalk is without a bud, when the life lacks the merit of virtuous habits. The stalk yieldeth no meal, when he that thrives in this world understands nothing refined, and yields no fruit of good practice.
71. But very often even vvhen it has yielded meal, strangers eat it up, in that even when hypocrites do shew forth good works, the wishes of evil spirits are satisfied therewith. For those who do not aim to please God by them, do not feed the Owner of the land, but strangers. Thus the hypocrite, like a fruitful and neglected vine, cannot keep his fruit, because the cluster of good works lies prone upon the ground. Yet he is fed by his veiy own insanity itself, in that on the score of good practice he is esteemed of all men, he is set before others, he holds the minds of men in subjection, he is raised to the higher posts; he is fed high with applause. Now this folly of his satisfies him in the mean season, but it shall not satisfy him, in that when the season of retribution comes, it displeases him under punishment that he was foolish. Then he will perceive that he did foolishly, when, for the gratification of applause, he 474 Best works done for man^s praise but spiders^ webs.
Job 8, receives the sentence of God's rebuke. Then he sees that r^ — '— he has been senseless, when for the transitory glory that he obtained, everlasting torments are his bitter portion. Then punishments disclose the true knowledge to light, in that by them it must at once be concluded that all was nought that could pass away; and hence it is rightly added, A?id whose trust shall be a spider'' s web. xliv. 72. The assurance of the hypocrite is rightly called like the webs of spiders, in that all the pains and labour they spend to acquire glory, the wind of the life of mortality blows to shreds. For as they never seek the things of eternity, they lose together with time all temporal good things.
Moreover it is to be considered that spiders draw their threads in a regular order, for that hypocrites as it were regulate their works by the rule of discernment. The spider's web is woven with pains, but it is scattered by a sudden blast, in that whatsoever the hypocrite does with laborious effort, the breath of man's regard carries off; and whilst in the ambition of applause his work comes to nought, it is as if his labour went to the wind. For it often happens that the works of hypocrites last even to the veiy end of the present life, but, forasmuch as they do not thereby seek the praise of their Creator, they were never good works in the sight of God. Thus it is very often the case, as we have said above, that they are upheld by scholarship in the sacred Law, that they deliver lessons of instruction, that they fortify by testimonies every notion that they entertain; but they do not hereby seek the life of their hearers, but applause for themselves. For neither do they know how to put forth any thing else but what may stir the hearts of their hearers to the quick, to pay the recompense of praise, not what may kindle them to shed tears. For the heart being preoccupied with external desires, is not hot with the iirc of divine love, and so words that issue from a cold heart, can never warm their hearers to heavenly affection. For neither can any one thing that is not itself alight in itself kindle any other thing.
Hence it is very often brought to pass, that at one and the same time the sayings of hypocrites fail to instruct the hearers, and make the very persons themselves that utter them worse by being exalted with praises. For as Paul bears witness.
Mortification for earthly ends counts as compulsory. 475 Knowledge piiffeth iip^ hut charity edifieth. Thus, whereas Book charity setteth not up in ' edifying,' knowledge in puffing up-rr^ — '-koverthrows. Very often hypocrites chasten themselves with i. extraordinary mortification, wear down all the strength of their body, and as it were while living in the flesh utterly kill the life of the flesh, and so by abstinence verge upon death, that they live well nigh dying every day; but they seek the eyes of men for all this, they look for the renown of admiration, as * Truth' testifieth. Which saith, jpor they disfigure tJieir faces, that^la.it.6j they may appear unto men to fast. For their faces become pallid, the body is made to shake with weakness, the breast labours with hard and broken breathings. But amidst all thivS, talk of admiration is looked for from the lips of neighbours, and nothing else is aimed at by such great pains, saving human esteem. Which same are well represented by that Simon, who in the season of our Lord's Passion bore the Cross in compulsion, of whom it is written. And as theyMa.tt.
came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, him ' they compelled to hear His cross. For what we do by compulsion, we do not practise from a heartfelt devotedness of love. And so for him to bear the Cross of Jesus in compulsion, is to submit to the mortification of abstinence for some other aim than needs to be. Does he not bear the Cross of Jesus under compulsion, who as after the commandment of the Lord subdues the flesh, yet does not love the spiritual Country? And hence the same Simon bears the Cross, but doth not die; in that every hypocrite chastens his body in abstinence, but yet, in the love of glory, lives on to the world.
73. Contrariwise it is well said by Paul of the Elect • For Gal. 5, they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh uith the vices^^' and lusts. For we * crucify the flesh with the vices and lusts,' if we so restrain our appetite, that henceforth we look for nothing of the glory of the world. Since he that macerates the flesh, but pants after honours, has inflicted the Cross on his flesh, but from concupiscence lives the worse to the world, in that it often happens that in the semblance of holiness, he unu^orthily obtains the post of rule, which except he displayed something of merit in himself, he would never attain to receive by any pains whatever. But that 476 What we live in is our house; the hypocrite's stands?iot.
Job 8, which he gains for enjoyment is passing, and what ensues in punishment is enduring. Now his assurance of sanctity is placed in the hps of man, but when the inward Judge tries the secrets of the interior, no witnesses of the life are sought from without. Therefore it is well said, IVhose trust shall be a spider^s web; since on the witness of the heart appearing, all passes by wherein his confidence consists, founded without in human applause. And hence it is yet further 's^ added with justice, Ver. 15. He leaneth upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall prop it, but it shall not rise up.
xlv. 74. As the house of our exterior life is the building which the body lives in, so the house of our thought is any thing whatever that the mind is centered in by affection. For every thing that we love, we as it were make our dwelling-place by reposing in it. Whence Paul, because he had fixed his heart in things above, being still upon earth indeed, yet a Phil. 3, stranger to earth, said. Our conversation is in heaven. So ^^* the mind of the hypocrite in whatever it does minds nothing else but the fame of its own reputation, nor cares where it 1 ' duci-is carried ^ after by its deserts, but what it is called* in the J^"!' J. /" mean season. Therefore his house is delight of popularity, which he as it were dwells in at rest, in that in all his works he throws himself back thereupon within his mind. But this house can never stand, because praise fleeth away with life, and the applause of man does not hold in the Judgment. Hence the foolish virgins too, who took no oil in their vessels, because their glory was in the voices of others and not in their own consciences, confounded by the presence Matt, of the Bridegroom, say. Give us of your oil, for our lamps ' ' are going out. For to seek oil from our neighbours is to beseech the fame of good works from the testimony of another man's mouth. For the empty soul, when it finds that it has retained nothing within by all its labours, looks about for testimony from without. As if the foolish Virgins said plainly, ' When ye behold us cast away without reward, say ye what ye have seen in our practice.'
75. But the hypocrite leans in vain then upon this house of applause, since no human testimony stands him in stead in the Judgment; for the same praise, which he afterwards Men listen tojlaliery till they deceive themselves. 477 claims in testimony, he before received in reward. Or surely Book the hypocrite leans upon his house, when beguiled by vain '- caresses, he is as it were lifted up in assurance of his holiness; for hypocrites do many things evil in secret, but a few things good in public. And when they receive praises from the good that appears, they turn away the eyes of observation from the concealed ill, and they esteem themselves such as they hear without, not such as they know themselves within. Whence it very often happens that they also come to the Judgment of the Most High with confidence, becajise they imagine themselves such in the sight of the Interior Judge, as they were held to be by men without. Yet ' the house of the hypocrite cannot stand,' for in the terror of a sifting search, all the foregoing assurance of holiness falls to the ground. And when he knows that the testimony of another man's lips is wanting to him, he betakes himself to reckoning up his own works. Hence it is still further added. He shall prop it, but it shall not I'ise up. For that which cannot stand by itself, is propped to make it stand; for when the hypocrite sees his life tottering in the Judgment, he sets himself to make it stand in propping it, by the enumeration of his deeds. Do not they prop the dwelling-place of their own praise on every hand, who in reckoning up their own deeds in the Judgment, as we said before, say. Lord, Lord, Matt. 7, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? and in Thy Name ' have cast out devils? and in Thy Name done many marvellous works? But the house of praise, stayed up by all these statements, cannot rise, because the Judge saith directly, / never knew you; deptart from Me, ye that work iniquity. And it is to be had in mind that any thing, that rises, lifts itself from below to a higher elevation, and so * the house of the hypocrite cannot rise,' in that in all that he may have done after the heavenly precepts, he never lifted his soul from off* the earth, so that with justice he is not then lifted up to the meed of recompense, who in that which he sets forth now, lies prostrate in the desire of temporal glory. But whereas we have heard how the life of the hypocrite, represented by the name of* a rush,' is rejected in the Judgment, let us hear what sort of person he is held by men before the strict Judge appeareth. It proceeds, 478 Hypocrites Jiourinh while the Light of Judgment is hid* Job 8, Ver. 16. It is seen moist before the sun cometh.
- — '- — 76. Oftentimes in Holy Writ the Lord is represented by -^yi^ the title of the Sun, as it is said by the Prophet, But unto Mai. 4, you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise. And as the ungodly that are cast away in the Judgment, are "^isd. described in the book of Wisdom, as saying. We have erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the Sun rose not upon us; therefore, ^ before the sun the rush is seen moist,' in that before God's severity burns hot in the Judgment, every hypocrite shews himself bedewed with the grace of holiness. He is seen as it were flourishing, because he is accounted righteous, he wins the post of honour, he is strong in his high repute for sanctity, reverence is awarded to him by all men, his credit for praise is magnified. Thus this rush is full of moisture in the night, but on the coming of the sun it is dried up, in that the hypocrite is accounted holy by all men in the darkness of the present life, but when the searching Judge cometh, he will appear as wicked as he is. So then let him say, He appears moist before the sun, because now he shews himself flourishing to the eyes of men, but then he shall wither up in the scorching heat of the Divine Judgment. The account goes on; 'germen And his produce^ issueth fo)'th in his springing up.
xlvii. 77. For every herb in general is first raised out of the ground by springing up, it is subject to the influences of the air and heat, it is fed by the sun and showers, and then at length it is made to open itself to put forth the produce of its seed. But the rush is produced along with its flower, and so soon as it springs out of the earth, it puts forth its produce of seed with itself. Therefore by the rest of the herbs the Saints in general are well denoted, but the hyjiocrite by ' the rush,' because the righteous, before they spring up ' in the practice of holy conversation, undergo the winter season of this life, and the heats of bitter persecutions press them hard; and then, when they do what is right, they never look here for the reward of their righteousness, but when ' A. B. D. onr.it ' quam,' making the of solid attainments, and suits the next sense ' first spring up.' The common sentence best, reading refers to the gradual maturing Produce best late. Trees take root slowly. 479 thev depart forth from the labours of the present world, Book . VIII on coming to their eternal Country, they enter upon the enjoyment of their looked-for reward. But contrariwise the hypocrite, in that he springs up in good practice at once, goes about to win the glor}^ of the present world. As it were like a rush he springs up with his produce, who in return for this, that he is beginning to live well, aims at the outset to be held in honour by all men. So that the * produce in the springing up,' is a reward at the outset. For often there are those that abandon the paths of overt wickedness, and put on the garb of holiness, and the moment they have touched the bare threshold of good living, forgetting what they were, they will not be henceforth chastened by penance for the iniquities they have committed, but they long to be commended for goodness begun; they are eager to get above the rest, even though better men than themselves. And for the most part whilst present prosperity follows them to their wish, they become infinitely worse than they were by the wearing of sanctity; but being busied with countless concerns, and distracted by that same busying, th'ey not only never bewail the things that they have done, but still fill up more that should be bewailed. ) 78. For they that quit the world, ought not to be promoted to externaP offices, unless in humility they be for some long^ i. e. time established in the contempt of that world. For the^ good soon comes to an end, which is made known to the ' world before the time. Thus with shrubs too that have been planted, if, before they are fastened with a firm root, the hand touch and shake them, it causes them to wither away, but, if the root be fixed deep, and, being sprinkled with the dews of the earth, be set fast, such as these the hand may even push, and not hurt: these even blasts of wind may buffet and wave, yet not overthrow. Thus, that the life of practice we have entered upon may not be uprooted, the root of the heart must be fixed long and vigorously in the deep of humility, that when from the mouths of men the breath of calumny or of applause blows i strong, though it bend it a little either way, it may not root up the mind from its seat, but that after such bending it may ^ return to its own upright standing, if it but hold strong in 480 Beginnings of good living should he kept secret. Job 8, the root in its own self. What among things in course of growth Moral.
1 fi is stronger than a rising wall? yet if, while it is in the act of erecting, it is pushed, it is at once destroyed without an effort; but if for a space of time it be allowed to dry from its wetness, often it is never a jot moved even by the strokes of the battering rams. In this way, in this self-same way, our goodness on the one hand being unseasonably displayed comes to nought, and on the other hand being longer kept hidden, is fairly secured; in that when the hand of human employment touches the recent life of our conversation, as it were it pushes the fresh brick wall, and easily destroys it, because it has not as yet got rid of the moisture of its own weakness. But when in its long lying at rest, the soul holds itself in, as it were like a dry wall, it grows hard against blows, and every thing that strikes it, now it is solid, bounds off it at once shattered. It is hence that Moses forbade the Hfe of aught that made the beginning Deut. to be employed in services for men, saying. Thou shall do ^' * no work with the firstling of thy hiillock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. For to ' do work with the firstling of the bullock' is to display the beginning of a good conversation; in the employment of public business. Moreover ' to shear [ the firstlings of sheep,' is to lay bare of the covering of its concealment the good we have begun before the eyes of men. And so we are forbidden to ' work with the firstling of the bullock,' and we are hindered from ' shearing the \ firstlings of our sheep,' in that even if we begin any thing strong, we ought not to be too ready to execute it in public.
And when our life commences something simple and harmless, it is meet that it quit not the coverings of its secresy, that it may not bare that thing naked to the eyes of the world, the fleece being as it were withdrawn.
79. So let the firstlings of the bullocks and the sheep avail for the Divine sacrifices alone, that whatsoever we begin strong and harmless, we may sacrifice in honour of the Judge of the interior upon the altar of our hearts. Which same we may be sure is accepted the more gladly by Him, in proportion as being kept concealed from men it is stained by no desire of applause. But it often happens that the beginnings of a new method of life have still a mixture of c I First-fruits of well doing not to he held clean, 481 the carnal life, and therefore they ought not to be too ready Book to make themselves known, lest while the good that pleases ^^^^-IS applauded, the soul being beguiled by the praises of itself have no power to discover in itself the evil that lies concealed. Hence it is rightly said by Moses again. And when ye shalll^ey. 19, have come into the land that I shall give you, and shall^^' have planted all manner of trees bearing fruit, then ye shall take oj" their foreskins. The fruits that are put forth shall be unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of them. For ' the trees bearing fruit' are works fruitful in virtue, and so we ' take off the foreskins of the trees,' when suspecting ourselves of the mere weakness of a beginning in itself, we do not give our approval to the beginnings of our good practices, but the fruits that are put forth, we count unclean, and do not make them answer for good for us, in that when the beginnings of good practice are applauded, it is meet that the mind of the doer should not be fed thereby; lest whilst the praise bestowed is plucked with delight, the fruit of good works be eaten prematurely. He, then, that receives the praise of virtue in its beginning from the mouths of men, as it were eats the fruit of the tree that he has planted before the time.
80. Hence ' Truth' saith by the Psalmist, // is vain for you Ps. 127 to rise up before the light: rise up after ye have sat, For^-^^lg' ' to rise up before the light' is to take one's pleasure in the night-time of the present life, before the shining of Eternal Retribution is revealed. So we are to sit first, that we may rise afterwards m a right way. For whoever doth not now humble himself by his own act and deed, the glory to ensue does not exalt such an one. Therefore what it is there to rise before the light, it is here for the hypocrite to put forth the produce in his springing up, for in "^setting his heart on human applauses, in the self-same place, where he springs up to good works, there he desires directly to obtain the glorying of his recompense. Had not they ' put forth their produce in their springing up,' of whom ' Truth' said, They Matt, love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats ^>^^'^•^• the synagogues, and greetings in the 7narkets, and to be called of 7nen Rabbi? Therefore seeing that for this reason, viz. because they are beginning to do wt'll, they endeavour to obtain honour of men, as it were, like a rush, ' in their 48*2 Seekmg praise of men now, forfeits that of God, Job 8, springing up they rise with their produce.' These same, — - — whilst they aim to practise riffht thines, first anxiously look about for witnesses of those same works, and canvass with secret calculation, if there be persons to see the things they are about to do, or if those who see them can report them in a proper way. But if it chance to happen that no one witnesses their doings, then, surely, they reckon them to be lost to them, and they account the eyes of the interior Umpire as off them, because they have no mind to receive at His hands the reward of their works hereafter. And whereas when the hypocrite does any thing, he aims to be seen by many eyes, it is yet further added with truth concerning this same ' rush/ Ver. 17. His roots will he wrapped about the heap of rocks, and he will dwell among the stones.
xlviii. 81. For what do we understand by the name of ' roots' save the hidden thoughts, w^hich issue forth out of sight, but rise up in the display of works in open day? as it is also Is. 37, said by the Prophet concerning the seed of the Word, And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and hear fruit upward. For to ' take root downward,' is to multiply good thoughts in the secret depths, but ' to bear fruit upward,' is to shew^ forth by the doing of practice what one has thought that is right. Now by the title of ' stones' in Holy Writ men are Is. 54, denoted, as it is said to Holy Church by Isaiah, And I will make thy hattlemetits jasper, and thy gates of carved stones. And he made it plain what it was that he called those stones, where he added. All thy children taught of the Lord. As it 1 Pet. 2, is also expressed by Peter in giving admonition, Ye also, as lively stones, are huilt up a spiritual house. Here therefore, whereas they are called ' stones,' but are not in any wise called ^ living stones,' by the bare appellation of stones may be set forth the lost and the Elect mixed together. Therefore this rush, ' which abideth in the place of stones, wi-appeth his roots about the heap of rocks,' in that every hypocrite multiplies the thoughts of his heart, in seeking out the admiration of men; for in all that hypocrites do, seeing that in their secret thoughts they look out for the applauses of their fellow-creatures, like rushes as it were they ' send out roots Vain duj)lai/ exposes us to evil spirits. 483 into the heap of the rocks.* For on the point of acting Book they imagine their praises, and when applauded, they dwell '- upon them secretly with themselves in the thoughts of their heart. They rejoice that they have distinguished themselves first and foremost in the esteem of men; and while they are puffed up and swoln in themselves by their applause, they often themselves secretly wonder at what they are. They long to appear day by day higher than themselves, and gi'ow to a height by extraordinary arts in practice. For as habits of virtue enfeeble every thing bad, so presumption strengthens the same. For it forces the mind to grow quick, and to be in high condition at the expense of strength, in that what the prime quality of health withholds, the love of applause enjoins. Whence too, as we said, they look out for witnesses of their deeds; but if it chance that witnesses of the thing are wanting, they themselves relate what they have done, and when they begin to be elated with applause, they add a little, by lying, to these works of theirs, which they describe themselves to have done. But even when they do give true accounts, by the act of telling them they are making them alien to them, in that when they are rewarded with the desired acknowledgments of esteem, they are dispossessed of their inward recompensing of them.
82. For in this, that they publish their good, they point out to the evil spirits, like enemies plotting against them, what to make spoil of. Whose life, truly, is represented by that sin of Hezekiah, which is well known to every one, who after that by a single prayer, and in the space of a single night, he had laid low an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his enemies, by an Angel smiting them, after that he had brought back the sun close to its setting into the higher regions of the heavens, after that he had spun out the web of life to longer dimensions, now already narrowed by the end approaching, shewed to the welcomed messengers of the king of Babylon all the good treasures that he possessed, but directly heai'd from the voice of the Prophet, Behold^ the days come, that all 2 Kings that is in thine hoicse shall be carried away into Babylon i'^^^ ^^' nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. In this way, in this self-same way, do hypocrites, after they are grown to a height by great attainments in virtue, because they are indiflerent 484 What we take from God, He leaves to Satan.
Job 8, to guard against the plots of evil spirits, and will not remain -T — '— hidden in those attainments, by displaying their good things, make them over to the enemy; andbybetrayingitto view, they lose in a moment whatsoever they perform by taking pains in a long course of time. Hence it is said by the Psalmist, Ps. 78, Aiid He delivered their strength into captivity, and their glory into the enemy'^s hand. For the ' strength' and ' glory' of presumptuous men is ' given over into the enemy's hand,' in that every good thing, that is exhibited in the desire of praise, is made over to our secret adversary's right of possession; for he calls his enemies to the spoil, who reveals his treasures to their knowledge; since so long as we are severed from the safety of the Eternal Land, we are walking along a way with robbers lying in wait. He then that dreads to be robbed on the road, must of necessity hide the treasures that he carries. O wretched beings, who by going after the praises of men, waste to themselves all the fruits of their labours, and whilst they aim to shew themselves to the eyes of others, blast all that they do. Which same when the evil spirits prompt to boastfulness, taking them for a prey they strip bare their works, as we have said. Whence ' Truth' in setting forth by the Prophet the rancour of our old Joel 1,7. enemies, under the form of a particular people, saith. He hath laid my vineyard waste, and harked my Jig-tree: he 1 V. so hath made it clean bare, and - despoiled it; the branches thereof are made white. For by spirits lying in wait the vineyard of God is made a desert, when the soul that is replenished with fruits is wasted with the longing after the praise of men. That people barks the fig-tree of God, in that carrying away the misguided soul in the appetite for applause, in the degree that it draws her on to ostentation, it strips her of the covering of humility, and ' making it clean bare despoils it,' in that so long as it is withdrawn from sight in its goodness, it is as it were clothed with the bark of its own covering. But when the mind longs for that it has done to be seen by others, it is as though ' the fig-tree despoiled' had lost the bark that covered it. And it is properly added there. The branches thereof are made while; in that his works being displayed to the eyes of men, turn white; a name for sanctity is gotten, when right practice Glory of the Church within. Glory of God to be our rule* 48-S is made appear, but whereas upon the bark beinor removed, Book the branches of this fig-tree wither, it is to be observed with -