even to him by the Angel it is said, to the Sacraments of Baptism. By (Acts X. 4.) Thy prayers and thine faith then he came to works, butby works alms are gone up before God. For if he was completed in faitii.' This seems he had not believed the true God even to give the true notion of that merit of before Baptism, to whom did he pray? ' congruity,' which our xiiith Article Or how had Almighty Gud heard him, implies as belonging to works done by unless he had sought of Himself in good the aid of partial grace and faith works to be perfected? He knew there- before full grace is received.
364 Man merits not (jrace but throuyh (jracefiral (jiven.
Job 28, is separated from brute animals by the understanding faculty of reason, understands that he is not saved by his own merits, IMyst * knows and sees that he had not given any thing of good practice that he might come to faith. For it is as it were to give a price for the obtaining of Wisdom, to anticipate the coming to the knowledge of God by the merchandize of one's conduct.
63. He had learnt that of this Wisdom there is ' no price,' Rom. who said. Who hath first given unto Him, and it shall be ' ' recompensed unto him. again. Hence it is written again, Eph. 2, Por by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Qod. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Hence concerning himself he again 1 Cor. speaks, saying, By the grace of God I am what I am. And ' * as by the inspiration of this same grace, the practices of the parts of virtue are at once engendered in the heart, so that from free will also conduct should follow, which after this life the Eternal Recompensing should answer to, he thereupon added. And His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. But there are those who exult that they are in a sound state by their own powers, and pride themselves that by their own merits going before they have been redeemed, whose declaration, surely, is found to be contradictory to themselves, because, while they maintain themselves at once ' innocent' and ' redeemed,' this very name of redemption they make null and void in themselves. For every one that is redeemed is doubtless set free from some sort of captivity.
Whence then is this said person redeemed, if he was not before captive under sin? It is plain then that he greatly misjudges who judges so. For heavenly grace does not find desert of man, in order to make it come, but after it has come, causes the same; and God, when He comes to the undeserving mind, at once sets it forth to Himself deserving by so coming, and causes therein merit for Him to recompense, whereas He had found only that for Him to punish.
64. It is good herein to recall the eyes of the mind to that robber, who from the jaws of the devil ascended the Cross, and from the Cross mounted to Paradise. Let us behold what sort of person he came to the stock of the Cross, what sort of person he went from the Cross. He came bound The Thief on the Cross, how changed by grace. 365 by his brother's blood, he came bloodstained, but by interior Bqok grace he was changed on the Cross; and he who inflicted -* death upon a brother, of the Lord when dying proclaimed the life, sayinj?. Lord, remember me when Thou comest m/oLuke Thy Kingdom. On the Cross the nails had bound fast his ' hands and feet, and there remained nought in him that punishment left free, but the tongue and the heart. But God inspiring it, he offered all to Him that he found free in himself, so that according to that which is written, he should witli the heart believe unto righteousness, and with Rom. the mouth make confession unto salvation. But that in the ' * hearts of the faithful there are three virtues in a special manner abiding, the Apostle testifies, saying. And now i Cor. abideth faith, hope, charity; all of which the robber being ^^' filled with instantaneous grace both received and kept on the Cross. For he had faith, who believed the Lord was about to reign, when he saw Him dying equally with himself; he had hope, who begged for admission into His kingdom, saying. Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. Charity also in his death he livingly retained, who at once charged home for his iniquity a brother and fellow robber dying for the like crime, and preached to him the life which he had learnt, saying. Dost Luke not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? ^p '^^' And we indeed justly: for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss. He that came such to the Cross by sin, see what he departed from the Cross by grace. He confessed the Lord, Whom he beheld dying along with himself by human frailty, at the time that the Apostles denied Him, Whom they had seen doing miracles by divine power.
65. But they who make out that man is saved by his own powers, fancy that that same confession of man is fi'om the eflScacy of man by himself. Which if it were so, the Psalmist would not say in praise of God, Cojtfession and great doing Ps. \u, are LLis work. So that from Him we receive it to confess^* what is right, by Whom it is granted us to practise what is great also. Therefore because we have not given aught of good practice, whereby we might deserve to be vouchsafed this Wisdom, let it be rightly said, Man knoweth not its 366 PI ensure a of litis life exclude true Wisdotn.
Job 28, price. Inasmuch as lie that henceforth uses reason looks Myst.
down upon himself under the perception of this Wisdom so much the deeper, in proportion as he more truly knows the interior de])th of that Wisdom, so as to see that he has attained to her being unworthy, by the which it is brought to pass without price, that he should be made worthy. Concerning which it is well said; Neither is it found in the land of those that live sweetly. xli. QQ. What is denoted in this passage by the title of the ' land,** saving the soul of man? Concerning which the Ps. 143, Psalmist saith, My soul thirsteth after Thee, as a land without water. But this wisdom cannot be ^ found iu the land of those that live sweetly;' because the man that is still fed with the pleasures of this life, is severed from the perception of Eternal Wisdom. For if he were truly wise-minded, being banished from the interior delights, he would mourn over that blind estate of his exile, whereinto he has fallen. For Eccl. 1, hence it is said by Solomon; He that addeth knowledge^ addeth "pain also. For the more a man begins to know what he has lost, the more he begins to bewail the sentence of his corruption, which he has met with. For he sees whence and whereto he has fallen; how that from the joys of Paradise he has come to the woes of the present life, from the companyings of the Angels to carings for necessities; he considers in what a number of perils he now lies prostrate, who before without peril disdained to stand; he bewails the exile which being accursed he undergoes, and sighs after the state of heavenly glory, which he might be enjoying in security, if he had not had a mind to commit sin. Which Ps. 31, same the Psalmist regarding rightly, saith, / said in my fear, I am cast out from the face of thine eyes. For after contemplating the interior joys of the vision of God, and the assemblage in fellowship of the Angels holding fast, he brought back his eyes to things beneath, he saw w^here he was laid low, who was created for this end that he might have been able to stand in heavenly realms; he considered where he was, and where he was not he grieved to think, he mourned for himself as ' cast out from the face of God's eyes,' because by comparison with the interior light, he had felt the darkness of his exile, that he was undergoing, to be the The wise will not solace tltemselvcs u'ith this world. 367 heavier. Hence it is that he admits not to his soul the solace Book of any favouring from the present life, saying, / refused mij ' soul to he comforted. For oftentimes the rich ones of this world, being afflicted with weariness of spirit, are used to regard the good gifts bestowed on them in time, and to soften down their sadness. For when they feel themselves affected with something of sadness, they look at their horses, they survey the vessels of their gold and their silver, they go the round of their estates. And while they gladly carry their eyes through the range of these temporal things, they get the better of the sadness of soul that has risen up. And hence Truth saith to them also in the Gospel; But ivoc unto i/o//. Luke 6, that are rich, for ye have your comfort here. But the holy man, who mourns for this, that he has fallen from everlasting joys, does not admit consolation on the ground of things temporal, saying, / have refused my soul to be comforted.
As though he said in plain speech; ' I, who do not grieve for the loss of temporal things, am utterly unable to be comforted by the abundance thereof.' And as though we ourselves on hearing these things said to him, * What then dost thou seek, who refusest to find comfort in those things that are of the world?' he thereupon added; / remembered God, and was delighted. As if he said in plain terms; ' Me not even the abundance of things earthly doth cheer, but even able to see, gives me delight.' So then, this is the bitterness the remembrance only of my Maker, Whom as yet I am not of the wise, that whilst they are lifted up on high in hope, they do not bow down the mind here to any delights. For hence it is written; The heart of the wise is where there ^5Eccl. 7, sorrow, and the heart of fools where there is mirth. Hence James saith: Be afflicted and monrii and, weep; let your James lauyhter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.^ Hence ' Truth bears witness by Itself, saying, Blessed rtreMatt.5, they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.' So wisdom^' cannot be * found in the land of those that live sweetly;' because they are the more really foolish, in proportion as whilst parting with the greater things they delight themselves in the least. Hence Peter blames that same folly of the wicked, saying. That count for pleasure the indulgence of the^ Peter 308 Soul of sinners a bottomless pit where Solan lies.
Job 28, day of defilement and stain *'. Hence Solomon saith, / -^—^~ counted laughter an error; and said to mirth ^ Why art Eccl. 2, thou vainly deceived? Accordingly let the holy man say concerning Wisdom, Neither is it found in the land of those that live sweetly. In this way plainly, that those who in this world live sweetly, are still so besotted, that this very thing too they know not, viz. Whence they have fallen. It follows; Ver. 11. The bottomless pit saith, It is not with me. 67. What does he call ' the bottomless pit' but the hearts of men, which are at once by the fall all floating, and by the mistiness of double-dealing full of darkness? Which same ' bottomless pit* declares that this Wisdom ' is not with' it; because the wicked mind, while it longs to be wise in a carnal way, shews itself foolish as to things spiritual. For because as Paul testifies, the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, so much the more completely is every one rendered foolish within, as he endeavours to appear wise Rev. 20, without. Concerning this abyss it is said by John, And * / saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old sei'pent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled. For by the number of a thousand, he denoted not the quantity of time but the universality, with which the Church exercises dominion.
Now the old serpent is bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit, because being tied up from the hearts of the good, while he is shut up in the minds of lost sinners, he rules over them with worse cruelty. And a little while afterwards he is described as brought up out of the hollow of the bottomless pit, in that from the hearts of the wicked which now rage secretly, having then gotten power against the Church, he shall break out into the violence of open persecution. And so this bottomless pit, wherein the devil is now kept hidden, ' saith that Wisdom is not with it,' because by Reading ' coinquinationisy ^coinquinat tones.'' Vulg. as ours.
I Deep craft and restless worldliness lack Wisdom. 369 wicked deeds it shews itself" a stranger to true wisdom. For, Book .. XVIII whilst a man covers wickedness in the heart, but with the.'
mouth gives forth flatteries, whilst he overshadows his purposes with double-dealing, whilst he eschews words of singlemindedness as foolishness, whilst he shuns the ways of simple innocency, it is as if the Abyss denies that she has the Wisdom of God. And because minds that are devoted to this world, are disturbed by the cares and anxieties of the present life, and therefore are quite unable to enjoy the repose of that Wisdom, it is rightly added; And the sea sail/i, It is not ivith me.
68. For what is there denoted by the name of the sea xliii. saving the bitter disquietude of worldly minds, which while they fall foul of one another in enmities by turns, dash themselves together like encountering waves? For the life of worldly persons is rightly called ' a sea;' because, whilst it is agitated by the tempestuous stimngs of actions, it is parted from the tranquillity and stedfastness of interior Wisdom. Contrary to which it is well said by the Prophet, Upo?i whom shall 3Iy Spirit rest but upon him that ^5 is. 66,2. humble and quiet, and that trembleth at my words f But from earthly minds the Spirit flies the further in proportion as He findeth no rest with them. For it is hence that it is said of certain by the Psalmist; Bruising and unhappiness Ps.i3,7. is hi their nays, and the way of peace have they not known. ^^ 7* From which same bruising of disquietude the Lord calls usCom.Pr. back, saying, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and «reMat.ii, heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon ^^* ^^' you, and learn of Me; for I am 7neek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For what is more toilsome in this life than to be fevered with earthly desires? or what is there more full of repose here, than to long for nought of this world? It is hence that the Israelitish people received the keeping of the Sabbath in gift; it is hence on the opposite side that Egypt was smitten with a multitude of flies. For the people, that follows God, receives the Sabbath, i. e. ihe rest of the spirit, that it should not be worn out in this life by any craving of carnal passions. But Egypt, which bears a likeness of this world, is stricken with flies. For the fly is an excessively intrusive and restless VOL. II. B b 870 Unsy thoughts of earth muHt go ne Wiadom come.
Job 28, creature. Wherein what else is there represented but the ^g^^^ intrusive solicitations of carnal desires. Whence it is said Ecc. 10, elsewhere, Dying flies destroy the sweetness of the ointment.
Because superfluous thoughts, which in the mind taken up with things carnal are for ever both springing into life and dying avray, destroy that sweetness, with which each individual has been inwardly anointed by the Spirit; because they do not suffer him to enjoy the unadulteratedness thereof. And so Egypt is smitten with flies, because the parts of those persons that love an earthly life, while they are stricken with the disquietudes of their desires, are by the swarms of carnal imaginations borne down beneath, so that they cannot be lifted up to the desire of interior rest. Whence when Truth comes to the heart with the wonderful help of His pitifulness.
He first banishes therefrom the fevers of carnal thoughts, and afterwards distributes in it the gifts of the parts of virtue.
AVhich same the sacred history of the Gospel excellently conveys to us; in which when the Lord being besought was led by the way in order to restore the daughter of the ruler Matt. 9, to life, it is added directly. But when the crowd were put ^' forth He ivent in, and took her by the ha7id, and the maid arose. So the crowd is cast forth without, in order that the damsel may be raised up; because if the importunate throng of worldly cares be not first expelled from the inner recesses of the heart, the soul, which lies dead in the interior, cannot rise up. For whilst it lets itself loose amongst the countless imaginings of earthly desires, it never in any degree gathers itself up to the consideration of self. Thus then, knowing and seeing that in these waves of perturbations Wisdom cannot dwell, he says, And the sea saith. It is not with me.
For no man receives her fully, saving he who strives to withdraw himself from all the drifting to and fro of carnal Ecclus. courses. And hence it is said elsewhere. Write wisdom in ^^' ^^* the time of leisure. And he that is lessened in doing, even Ps. 46, he shall win her. And again. Be still, and know that I am 69. But how is it that w^e know that most of the old Fathers at once interiorly held fast this Wisdom in its life, and outwardly administered the affairs of the world in ordinary? Do we call Joseph deprived of the attainment of rias JVisdom can dnell nith cares home for obedience. 371 this Wisdom, who in the time of dearth taking upon himself Book the affairs of all Egypt not only furnished provisions to the ' ^ - Egyptians, but by the skilfulness of his administration preserved the life of foreign people as well that came to him? Did Daniel prove a stranger to this Wisdom, who, when he was made by the king of the Chaldeans in Babylon chief of the governors, was busied with greater charges in proportion as by a higher pitch of dignity he was likewise set above all? Whereas then it is plain that very often even the good are engaged in earthly charges with no interest, we plainly see that in this way the citizens of Jerusalem sometimes render services^ to Babylon, in like manner as often- ^angatimes the citizens of Babylon pay suit and service to Jerusalem. For there are some persons who preach the word of life for the displaying of wisdom alone, they minister the succour of alms from the passion of vain-glory; and indeed the things they do seem to be proper to Jerusalem, but yet are they citizens of Babylon.
70. In this way then it sometimes happens, that they who love the heavenly Country alone, seem to be subjected to the charges of the earthly country. Whose ministration however is distinguished from the practices ot the wicked for the most part in act, but sometimes before the Judge Above in thought only. For being full of wisdom from Above, they distinguish how they may at once be free to one thing inwardly, and busied with another thing outwardly; so that if perchance by God's secret appointment aught of the concerns of this world is charged upon them, they coveting it not, they may yield to God Whom they delight in, and from the love of Him, may interiorly desire His Vision only, but from the fear of Him externally discharge the course imposed upon them with humility, that they should at once desire to be disengaged to God by force of the free attachment of loving affection, and again fulfil the charges imposed upon them by force of the constitution of servitude; and when the affairs of business make a din without, within the most peaceful repose is maintained in love; and the turmoils of employments outwardly clamouring, reason as presiding judge disposes of within, and with tranquil governance regulates the things, which all around Bb 2 372 Inward tranqiiillily. H^isdom to come in Person.
Job 28, it are too little tranquil. For as force of mind is at the head for bridling- the motions of the flesh, so very often the love Prdph AiLEo*. of tranquillity regulates aright the imposed turmoils of business; because exterior charges, if they be not desired with a wrong affection, may be executed with a mind not disordered but regulated. For holy men never court them, but lament them when put upon them by secret appointment, and though in respect of a better aim they shun them, yet in respect of a submissive mind they bear them. Which same they are above every thing eager to avoid if it might be, but fearing the secret dispensations of God, they lay hold of that they eschew, and execute what they avoid.
For they go into their conscience, and they there take counsel what the secret will of God would have, and being conscious that they ought to be subject to the Appointments on high, they humble the neck of the heart to the yoke of Divine Providence. But he that is such as this, whatever turmoils are at work without, they never reach to his interior parts. And so it comes to pass that there is one thing maintained within in wish and another thing maintained without in office, and that with this Wisdom their hearts are filled, being no longer troubled and disordered, but in a state of tranquilhty. Well, then, is it said thereof, that the depth saith, It is not with me^ and the sea saith^ It is not with me. As though it were expressed in plain speech; ' The troubled minds of the worldly cry out by the mere circumstance of their not being quiet, that they are widely separated from true Wisdom. But because this Wisdom of God, abiding with the Father before the ages of the world, was to be made Incarnate in the end thereof, so that in order to redeem the human race. It should send not the holy Angels, not just men, but in the manifestation of very sight comes by Its own Self, it is rightly subjoined, Ver. 15.. Fine gold shall not be given for it.
xliv. 71. For what is denoted by ' fine gold,' save the holy 1 ' obr - Angels, who are rightly called both ' gold,' and ' fine ';' ' gold,' zum.' because they shine with brightness of righteousness; ' fine,' because they never had any defilement of sin. But for just men, so long as they are in this corruptible flesh with the conditions oi mortality, ' gold' they may indeed be, ' fine No substitute /or Her. No man pure as the Angels. 373 gold' they cannot be in any wise; because the corruptible Book body presseih doivn the soul, and the earthy tabernacle ^:^r~ weifjheth down the mind, that museth upon many things, i5. For though in this life they may shine by an extraordinary brightness of righteousness, yet they never purely lack the dross of sins; as John the Apostle bears witness, who says, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth i John IS not in us; and as James affirms, who puts a proof, saying, ' * For in many things we all offend. As the Prophet likewise James beseeches, who says. Enter not info judgment with Thy'^^\^^ servant, O Lord, for in Thy sight shall no man living be"^-justified. Those then are termed ' fine gold' who whilst holding fast in that innocency, wherein they were created, at once shine with the brightness of righteousness, and are stained with no dross of sins, no not the very least.
72. But because in the stead of this Wisdom no one of the Angels was to be sent as the Redeemer of the human race, lest in those Angels, who. we have been taught, have often appeared in aid of men, any man should rest his hope, it is said. Fine gold shall not be given for it. As though it were expressed in plain speech; * By Its own Self shall AVisdom be manifested, in order that the human race may be redeemed from sin.' There is no Angel sent in His stead; because it must needs be that by the Creator the creature should be set free. And hence the Lord saith in the Gospel, If the John s, Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. But the * holy man, being filled with the Spirit of that same Wisdom, foresaw that there would not be wanting in Judaea some that should put their hope in the Lawgiver, and make Moses the author of their salvation, even as to the man that had been healed, speaking evil, they say. Be thou His dJsciple, bid John 9, we are 3Ioses' disciples. Whence it is yet further introduced ^^' with propriety.
Nor shall silver be weighed in exchange thereof.
73. For because tlie divine revelations are often denoted xlv. by ' silver,' by the term of silver it may be that the writers of that revelation are also understood, whose life shone amidst the crowds of their fellow-creatures with the light of virtuous attainments. Ikit because the Law was able to point out sins, but not able to take them away, it was not any one of 374 No works of men could stand in Christ's stead.
Job 28, the ancient Fathers, nor the Lawgiver Moses, that became.5 — ^— the Redeemer of manldnd. So ' silver is not weighed in Alleg. exchange of this Wisdom,' because all that have had power to be holy, by comparison with the Only-begotten Sou of God are accounted to have been of no worth, who except they had known and seen that they were servants of that ' Wisdom,' could never at all have been holy. For to this end were they sent, that in the hearts of men they might by preaching prepare a way for this * Wisdom,' neither yet that for her, but by her ihey might govern the peoples under their charge. For because it was certain that by the accession of periods of time, the ailments of the waning world should grow to a height, it was brought about that in the end of ages the Eternal Wisdom of God should by Its own Self come to this full grown sick one, with his overgreat infirmity, i. e. to the human race lying sick, throughout the whole world, that preachers having been dispatched beforehand, like a kind of visitors, the power of the physician might afterwards come so much the more efficacious, in proportion as the sickness of the diseased had more grown to a head.
But because there is no one sent in the stead of Him for the saving of us, let it be rightly said, Nor shall silver be weighed in the eoochange thereof. Forasmuch as the life of the just men who preached, with whatever light of holiness it might abound, doth not by its presence make exchange for the coming of Heavenly Wisdom to us. But there were multitudes of the Gentiles, who being attached to the systems of discipline of this world's wise ones, observed those things which are honourable among men, and believed that, honourable dealing being observed, they were sure to be saved, nor any longer sought a Mediator between God and man, since they held the teaching of the philosophers as being sufficient for them. In contempt of whom it is directly added; Ver. 16. Nor shall it he compared to the dyed colours of India. xlvi. 74. For what is meant by India, which furnishes a black people, saving this world, wherein the life of man is engendered dark in respect of sin? Now * the dyed colours of India' are the wise ones of this world, who though in respect of infidelity, and oftentimes in respect of behaviour, they be False colours of mail's ivisdom. Hidden sensein mean words.^lo foul, vet before the eves of men are stained with the hue of Book overlaid honourableness. But the coeternal Wisdom of God ' is not ' compared to the dyed colours of India,' in that he, who really takes It in, discovers how widely it differs from those human beings whom the world has worshipped for wise ones. And the very words of His precepts differ from the wise ones of this world, in that while they strain after eloquence, their sayings appear as if fair in shew and in the staining of the dye, and while they lack the power of realities, feign themselves to be something else than what they are by combination of words as by overcoated colours. But on the other hand the instruction of Wisdom is at once fair by preaching and shining by unadulterated truth, nor does it by deceit set itself forth one thing outwardly, and retain another thing inwardly, nor in its sayings aim to appear fair by brilliancy of speech, but by uncorruptness of truth. Therefore in its precepts the Wisdom of God is not ' compared to the dyed colours of India,' since whereas it has not the stained adornments of eloquence, it pleases like a robe without dye. Which staining of the dye Paul rightly despised, when he said, Which things also we speak not in the words i Cor. lltat mail's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost'^^ ^'^' teacheth. For he chose rather to display this ' Wisdom' by the simple transparency of truth alone, but not to stain it with the dyeing of speech. It follows;