speak foolishly^ lam bold also. Are tJiey Hebrews? soam^sl I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? {I speak as a fool,) I am more. To which particulars he likewise adds how that to him the secrets of the third heaven also were set open, how that being caught up he even penetrated the mysteries of Paradise. See, how eschewing honour he proclaims himself the servant of the disciples. See how for the use of his hearers seeking honour, he advances the claims of his life above the false apostles. Since the great teacher acted with this view, that whilst he himself is seen and known for what he was, both the life and the tongue of those that preached amiss might by comparison with him be made worthless. Therefore in a wonderful way he both exhibits the grace of humility, and seeks accessions of usefulness, so as both to proclaim himself a servant of the disciples, and prove himself better than the adversaries. He displays to the disciples what he had been vouchsafed of humility, he displays to the opponents what he had been vouchsafed of loftiness. He makes appear in opposition to adversaries what he had by gift, he makes appear to disciples what he remains in himself in thought, he makes known to opponents what he is presented without in practice. So holy men, when they are constrained to relate the good • things that they do, do not lend themselves to exaltation but usefulness. Whence to his friends, unjustly upbraiding him.
428 Justice Jirst named, since mercy tieeds it.
Job 29, and so not knowing the good things in him, blessed Job telling reveals them, that surely they might learn, not whilst upbraiding him to lift themselves up against his life, but holding their peace to copy the same. Though, as we have already often said above, the despair urged on him by those upbraiding him, forced him to recall his own deeds to remembrance. For amidst so many pains of wounding and words of despair, when he tells the things which he did, his mind as it were sunk down by words and wounds he sets anew to hope. So let him say the good things that he has done, that he may not be forced in the midst of so many evil things that he hears to despair of himself. I was eyes to the blind, feet was I to the lame.
38. When we are estimating the examples of holy practice, we ought first to mark what a right order is observed in relating them, so that first works of righteousness, next works of mercy should be described. For that man does well what is pitiful, who is taught first to observe what is just, so that the stream of mercy bestowed on our neighbours be brought from the fountain-head of righteousness. For there are many that in a manner render works of mercy to their neighbours, but do not abandon the deeds of unrighteousness, which same if they are anxious truly to shew mercy to their neighbours, ought first by living justly to have shewn pity to Ecclus. themselves. Whence it is written; Have mercy upon thine (v'ulg. ^^'^^ "^^^'^ ^y P^Gasing God, He then that would pity his 24.) neighbour must needs derive the original of pitying from Mat. 19. himself. For it is written; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. How, then, is he pitiful to another by shewing mercy, who by still living unjustly becomes pitiless to him-Ecclus. self? Whence it is also said by one that was wise; He that ' • is evil to himself^ to whom xvill he be good? Since for shewing forth mercy, that it may be rendered to the needy outwardly in perfection, two things necessary agree together, i. e. the man that is to give, and the thing to be given. But the man is by far and without comparison better than the thing. And so he who gives up his outward substance to his neiglibour in want, but does not keep his own life Irom doing evil, gives his estate to God, but himself to sin. The thing which is the lesser he offered to the Creator, and that Holy Church is eifes to the blind, feet to the lame. 429 whicli is the greater he reserved to wickedness. And so it Book IS well said first by blessed Job, With justice I was clothed and arrayed myself as icith a garment, and rcith my judgment as with a diadem: and is next added; I ivas eyes to the blind, and feet?aas I to the lame. Because there is then in God's sight the offering of true righteousness, when from the root of righteousness the branches of pitifulness proceed. But because in the very work of mercy itself the spirit is wont to be thought more of with the interior Judge than the thing done, observe that he declares that to ' the blind he had been eyes, to the lame feet.' For by saying these things assuredly he points out that both to the one he had held out a hand by himself, and that the other he bore up by carrying. From which it is gathered how greatly the bowels of his mercy were poured out upon the weak and need}^ Whence it is added; / was a father to the poor.
39. Which same words if we refer to the utterance of Holy Alleg. Church by a typical mode of interpretation, the same is ' eyes to^the blind,' because she gives light by the Word, and the same ' feet to the lame,' because she stays them up by support. For by preaching she enlightens the blind, while the lame by helping she supports. For ' the blind' is he that as yet seeth not whither he is going, but ' the lame' is he who has not the power to go there where he sees. For frequently sin is committed either by ignorance or weakness, so that either the man knows not what he ought to desire, or cannot do every thing that he has the desire to do. Contrarily it is rightly said by the Psalmist, The Lord is my light and my salva-ps27 i. tioii. For because the Lord bestows both knowledge and force, at once in opposition to ignorance He is called ' Light,' and in opposition to weakness ' Saving Health.' Tt is hence that it is said of the wicked. Let their way he dark and Ps.35,6. slippery; that is to say, that through the darkness they may not see where they should go, who even if they did see what was right, yet by reason of the slippery quality they should not be able to stand fast therein. And so the one sort through the slipperiness halt in the midst of good things, and the other sort through the darkness, are ignorant what good things to follow. Thus then Holy Church, being seized by tribulations at the end, calls to mind the old times when 430 The (ieidilea blindy the Jews lame.
Job 29, slie was accustomed both to enlighten by teaching and to —^ — - stablish by helping, and speak with the lips of her foregoing member, saying, / was an eye to the blind, atid afoot was I to the lame.
40. And whereas she has gathered together two Peoples in herself, viz. the Jewish and the Gentile, by the ' blind,' the Gentile People may also be rightly denoted, and by ' the lame' the Jewish. Since the Gentile People had as it were no eyes, because the Law not being received it saw not where it ought to have gone. But on the other hand the Jewish People having eyes was lame, because the Law indeed in knowing it held, but did not stretch forth the step of right practice therein. For if the Gentile People had not been Is. 9, 2. blind, the Prophet would not say, The people that walked in darkness have' seen a great light. Again, if the Israelitish People had not gone lame to good practice, the Psalmist Ps. 18, would never have said in the voice of the Lord, The strange children have lied to me: the strange children have waxed old, they have gone lame out of their paths. Which doubtless is for this reason termed a lame People, in that it had not a sound step in practice, since it would not use both feet, w^hile it admitted one Testament, and spurned the other. Which People when Holy Church receives coming to her, because to the same, already holding the Old Testament, she introduces the New Testament as well, for the directing the steps thereof, she as it were joins on another foot. Which faithful People of Holy Church still further adds aright, / was a father to the poor, heca.nse surely the humble, who are called ' poor in spirit,' are begotten by her preaching. But it is necessary for us in all these particulars to weigh with exactness the actual words of the history. For he says; Ver. 16. I was a father of the poor, and the cause, which I knew not, I searched out. xxiv. 41. For very often men give much to the poor, not because ^^^'^' they love those poor, but because if they do not give, they dread the indignation of the Judge Above; which persons, if they were not afraid of God, would have had no mind to give the things they possess. And indeed in good deeds it is the first step of beginners, that he who does not yet know how to love his neighbour as himself, nevertheless should , Kindliness of Charity. Diliyence in well-doing. 431 yet hencelbrtli begin to dread the judgments from Above. Book Thus because it is one thing to do a good deed by command 1 and another to do it from affection as well, that the holy man may teach us the inward spiiit of his practice, let him say, / was a father to the poor. For not a patron, or a neighbour, or an helper to the poor, but ' a father' he testifies that he had been; in this way, because by the great attentiveness of his charity he converted the purpose of mercy into the affection of nature, that he should look on those as children by love, whom he was the head of as a father by protecting. Therefore because the force of his mercy had copied nature, he records himself to have been a father to the poor. Where he hkewise adds; And the cause that I knew not, I most carefully searched out.
42. In which words we have to consider all the particulars xxv. how distinctly they are related, and that no profit is passed over by him. Since he is just in his actions, pitiful in his neighbours' infirmities, active in the concerns of the poor. For he that takes thought of the blessings of the eternal recompensing, must needs extend himself to every occasion of the repayment to follow after. For hence it is said by Solomon; He that feareth God, neglecteth nothing. Hence Ecc. r, also Paul saith; prepared unto every good work. But herein 2 ^^^ we ought to bear in mind that occasionally in our actions 2, 21. lesser good things are to be let pass for the usefulness of greater ones. Thus who could be ignorant that it has the merit of a good work to bury the dead: and yet to one, who had prayed to be let go in order to the burying of his father, it was said; Let the dead bury their dead; hut go thou a/zc/Luk 9, preach the kingdom of God. Thus the dutifulness of this service was to be made to give place to the office of preaching, because by the first he would be burying persons dead in the flesh in the earth, by the other he would be raising up persons dt^ad in the soul to life. By the Prophet likewise it is said to the chiefs of the Synagogue; Seek judgment, is.ijiT.
relieve the oppressed. And yet Paul the Apostle says; Set 1 Cor. 6, them to judge, who are least esteemed in the Church. For he was kindling his hearers' hearts to the excellency of wisdom, to different kinds of tongues, to the investigating 43'2 Earthly cares to he taken up as a duty by some.
Job 29, the mysteries of prophecy also, saying, Desire spiritual gifts, ~HisT ^^^^ rather that ye may prophesy. But because they would not be capable of * spiritual gifts,' if earthly matters had weighed them to the ground, he premised long before, saying, Set them to judge who are least esteemed in the Church. As though he said in plain words; ' they that are of least worth in the Church, and not enriched with any power of extraordinary gifts, let these only judge concerning earthly matters, that by whom extraordinary good cannot be supplied, the lesser good may be.' Whom he at once styles ' contemptible,' and yet calls ' wise,' when he says; lCor.6, /5 it so that there is not a wise man arnong you? no one that shall be able to judge between his bretJiren? From which point what else is concluded but that they are to try earthly causes, who have received wisdom in things external? But they that have been enriched with spiritual gifts surely ought never to be entangled with earthly concerns, that while they are not compelled to manage the good things beneath, they may by being exercised be enabled to serve the interests of the good things Above.
43. But above every thing it needs to be looked to, that they who shine forth with spiritual gifts should never entirely abandon the affairs of their neighbours of weak condition, but that they should entrust the same to be managed by others, whom it is meet for. Whence also Moses appointed to the people seventy persons in the stead of himself, that in proportion as he buried himself out of the way of external causes he might with the greater fervour go into the things of the interior. And so it comes to pass, that those that are the highest advance more to spiritual gifts, when things that are lowest do not trample on their minds, and again the persons that are the last in the Church do not live without good practice, while in matters external they find right things which they may do. For Holj Church is so compacted by a unity of the faithful, as our body is made one by the jointing of the limbs. Thus there are some members in the body which are subservient to beholding the light, others which are never parted from the contact of earth. Since the eye is set intent on the light, and that it may not be made blind, it is kept safe from the dust. But the foot then rightly Member fi of Holy Church hound to mutual service. 433 discharges its office, when it does not shrink from taking on Book it the dust of the earth. Which same members of the body, — - — '-however, are, by imparting their functions to one another, reciprocally united in one, so that the foot should run for the eyes, and the eye look out for the feet.
44. Thus, then, thus ought the members of Holy Church to be at once distinct in office and united in charity, that the highest persons may look out the way of those, who go at liberty in the concerns of earth, so that the foot may as it were walk by the light of the eyes, and again that whatever they execute, being busied with the affairs of earth, this they may apply to the use of the greater sort, so that the foot, whose w^ay is looked out, may step not for itself only but for the eyes as well. And so whilst they suit one another by turns, by reciprocal ministering, in a wonderful way it is brought about, that whereas all the Elect, by bestowing labour on one another, do what they are able, those works too become their own, which they cannot do themselves.
45. But herein we ought to bear in mind, that when those are wanting, who might fitly minister to the exterior occasions of their neighbours, those too who are full of spiritual gifts ought to lower themselves to their inferiority, and, as far as they may with propriety be able, lend themselves with the condescension of charity to the earthly necessities of those persons. Nor should it weary the mind, if its perception, being ever intent on the contemplation of the spiritual, is sometimes as it were bent down, diminished in managing the least concerns, when that Word, by Which all things created are held together, in order that He might benefit mankind, having taken to Him the nature of man, was willing to be ' made a little less than the Angels.' What wonder, then, if man for man's sake draws himself in, when the Creator of men and Angels for man's sake took upon Him the form of man } Not however that the perception is diminished when it is thus drawn in; because it penetrates the things above with more exact penetration, in proportion as with more abundant humility for the love of the Creator it does not even des])ise the things beneath. What is there that is unworthy of us or difficult, if we carry the mind above 434 0(k1 seems to enquire be fore judging, for our example.
Job 29, and below, when of the body we wash the face with the same ' hand, with which we shoe the foot? Therefore let blessed Moral. Job, becausc when he was doing great things he did not think the least things beneath him, let him say, And the cause that I knetv not I very carefully searched out.
46. Wherein I see it is to be noted, that for delivering sentence we should not ever be precipitate, that things not examined into we should not rashly judge, that any thing heard of a bad nature should not affect us, that what is reported every where about we should not credit without proving. Which same, without doubt, we shall be afraid of committing, if we consider the doings of our Creator with some degree of minuteness. For that very Creator, that He might wiihhold us from a precipitate delivery of sentence, Heb. 4, whereas ' all things are naked and open to His eyes,' yet refused to judge the evil deeds of Sodom when heard, in Gen.18, that He saith; Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and because their cry is very grievous; I will go down noii\ and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know. Thus God, Who is Almighty and knowing all things, wherefore does He before the proving seem to doubt, but in order to set forth to us an example of gravity, that the evil of our fellow-creatures we should never venture to believe before we prove it.^ Observe how by His Angels He comes down for the ascertaining of the evil, and immediately smites the culprits; and He That is patient. He Who Wisd. is gentle. He, of Whom it is written; But Thou, Lord, ^^' ^^' judgest with tranquillity. He, of Whom it is written again; Ecclus. The Lord is a patient Rewarder, finding them involved in ' * such enormous guilt, as it were overlooked patience, and would not await tlie day of Final Judgment for vengeance, but with the fire of judgment prevented them before the Day of Judgment. See, the evil He in seeming believed with difficulty when He heard it, but visited without backwardness when acquainting Himself He found it true; surely that He might give us an example that worse crimes are both to be believed with difficulty, when they are heard, and to be punished more quickly when they are truly ascertained. For this heedfulness accordingly blessed Job entertaining anxious Holy Church jnd(jcs with care; rescues from Sata/n. 435 interest, saith, The cause that I knew not^ I very carefully Book searched out, Wliich same words we may likewise apply iiot alleg. inappropriately in the voice of the Church to a typical way of interpretation. For that same Church by her elect members does when she judges the evil deeds of carnal men ' search out that, which she knows not,' in that the evil things which she knows not in doing them, she searches out in correcting them in judgment. And so Holy Church, when she shall be cramped for a time by the villainy of the unjust, remembers, saying. The cause that I knew not^ I very carefully searched out. As though she said in plain speech; * The evil that in mine Elect I knew not in doing, in wicked men I did, by judging, chasten with severity.' And because she now bruises the devil by the power of her preaching, and carries off out of his mouth the soul of every one that she receives, he goes on in the words; Ver. 17. And I brake the Jaws of the wicked^ and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
47. Oh what a spoil did she take from the mouth of the xxvi. devil, when by converting she carried off Saul himself the spoiler; when still breathing threats he was on his way to Acts 9, Damascus, having received letters, and whereas by persecuting the faithful he was gathering prey for the devil, he was, by being made acquainted with the faith, himself gathered to Christ. As many times did the Church ^ pluck the spoil out f of the mouth of the wicked,' as often as by preaching she L snatched off a soul from the gripe of error. For who can be | more truly called a wicked one than the devil? whose * jaws we break,' as often as by arguing against his deceits, we bring to light his secret contrivances. And so we * pluck the spoil out of his teeth,' because the soul, which he had already bitten by breaking it to sin, by converting we recover to the saving health of life. Since by ^ the jaws' are exhibited his hidden plots, while by the teeth the now open commission of sin. Of which same jaws and teeth it is said by the Psalmist; But Fs.58,6. God shall break their teeth in their mouth; the Lord shall break the jaw bones of the lions. But the holy man declares himself to ' break the jaws' first that he might afterwards be able to * carry away the spoil from the teeth' of that one; because we then truly snatch the prey from his teeth, when 436 Breaking Satan's jaws. The ChurcK s^ neaC for the young.
Job 29, we first know how to break his jaws. For it is necessary first to bring to Ught the secret artifices of his contrivances, that Alleg.
afterwards we may be able to recover the soul of our hearer from open falling. The jaws of this wicked one the chief pastor of the Church himself did by preaching break in 1 Pet. 5, pieces, when he said, Be sober ^ be vigilant, because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour; Whom resist, sted/ast in the faith. Against this * lion' Holy Church, because she sees his plottings, guards the folds of the faith. Whose * jaws she breaks' as often as she destroys the arguments of heretics, and as many times ' seizes the spoil out of his teeth,' as she by preaching converts a man from error. And because there shall then be many of the just, who reckoned that they would depart out of this world in the time of the Church's peace, blessed Job, while he tells his own case, likewise points out the voices of the just coming after him, saying; Ver. 18, Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as a palm.
xxvii. 48. What else is set forth in this place by the title of a ' nest,' but the tranquil rest of the faith whereby every infirm soul is nourished } For that multitude of the good, which shall be overtaken by the times of persecution, thought to accomplish the days of its nourishings, as in a nest, so in a place of repose. For except that Holy Church now nourished up the w^eak children severally in the nest of peace, the Ps.84,3. Psalmist would not say. Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, and the turtle a nest where she may lay her young. Since henceforth ' the sparrow hath found her an house,' because our Redeemer has entered into the Eternal dwellingplace of heaven. And ^ the turtle hath found a nest,' because Holy Church, influenced by love of the Creator, makes use of frequent sighings, and as it were builds up a ' nest' for herself, i. e. the most peaceful rest of the Faith, wherein her growing children, like callow young, till they fly up to the regions above, she fosters, cherished warm in the bosom of charity. And so because there shall then be those, who thought in the time of peace to take their passage to the regions on high, i. e. to soar away from the nest, their voice is anticipated by the voice of blessed Job, w^hen he says, Holy Church, like the palm, fairest above. 437 Then I said, I shall die in my nest. But because this same Book XIX quietness of peace they promised themselves in a length of ^ - many days, he rightly subjoins, saying, And 1 shall multiply my days as a palm. For the palm advances slowly, but holds on long in greenness. But with many difficulties Holy Church comes to the firm standing of the Faith, and for the gathering together of very many she desires to be set the longer in the glory of that Faith. And so as * a palm' she thought * to multiply her days,' who on the crisis of sudden temptation emerging upon her, grieves for the boon of peace at once slowly gotten by the faithful, and quickly intercepted by the unbelievers.
49. Nor is it unfairly that the life of the righteous is likened to a ' palm,' in this respect, that the palm below is rough to be touched, and in a manner enveloped in dry barks, but above it is fair with fruit even to be looked at; below it is compressed by the enfoldings of its barks, above it is spread out in amplitude of beautiful greenness. For so is the life of ihe Elect, despised below, beautified above.
Down beneath the one is as it were enfolded in many barks, in that it is straitened by innumerable afilictions. But on high the other is as it were spread out with the foliage of beautiful greenness in the amplitude of the rewarding. The palm too has another thing as well, by which it differs from all kinds of trees. For every tree holds, in its timber, large sized towards the ground, but in growing it is narrowed above, and in proportion as it is by degrees higher, it is rendered so much the minuter on high; but the palm sets out of less circumference from the bottom, and arises with wider timber towards the boughs and fruit; and that which goes on slender from the bottom grows up more huge to the top.
Accordingly to what but earthly minds are other trees found to be like, expanded below, narrowed above? because surely all the lovers of this world are strong in the things of earth, but feeble in the things of heaven. Thus for temporal glory they long to spend themselves even to death itself; and for the everlasting hope they do not though but a litlle hold on in exertion. For the sake of earthly gains they submit to any injuries, and for the sake of the heavenly reward they refuse to bear the insults even of the most trifling word.
438 Most grow small upwards^ like common trees.
JoB29,Xhey are strong enough to stand before an earthly judge r — '— even a whole day through, but in praying in the presence of. God they are tired even with the space of a single hour. ' » dejec- Oftentimes they bear nakedness, abjectness^, hunger, for the sake of acquiring riches and honours, and they torment themselves with the stinting of those things, which they are in such haste to obtain; but from seeking with hearty endeavour the things that are above, they excuse themselves the more, in proportion as they imagine them to be more slowly paid back. So these as it were after the manner of the rest of the trees are wide spread below, narrow above, because they hold strong towards the parts below, but go off' towards the parts above. But on the other hand by the character of palm trees the progressive life of the righteous is represented, who are never strong in earthly pursuits, and weak in heavenly ones, but exhibit themselves devoted to God with '-» ' Ion- a farther and wider extension" than they remember to have que (lis- been to the world. For whereas it is said to certain persons tantius.'i^y our Preacher, I speak after the manner of men ^ because 19. of the irtfirinity of your flesh; for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness; without doubt there is a condescending to their infirmity, as though it were said to them in plainer terms; ^ If ye cannot any way do more, at all events be ye such in the fruit of good works as ye were for long in the practising of bad habits, so that the holy freedom of charity may not possess you weaker persons, whom the habit of earthly pleasure possessed strong ones in the flesh.